Shehbaz Sharif has been elected to a second term as Pakistans Prime Minister, securing 201 votes in parliament on Sunday amid raucous protests. Sharif, of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, will lead a controversial coalition government with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as a key ally. The alliance comes despite former PM Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party winning the most seats as independents in recent elections. The PML-N and PPP finished second and third in seats respectively.Nawaz Sharif, the elder brother of Shehbaz and PML-N supremo, endorsed Shehbaz for Prime Minister and party loyalist Sardar Ayaz Sadiq for Speaker of the National Assembly. Shehbaz previously led a coalition for 16 months before being ousted in August 2023. His new administration has the backing of the powerful military establishment. As part of the coalition deal, Nawaz Sharifs daughter Maryam Nawaz will become Chief Minister of Punjab province - the first woman to hold the role. Meanwhile, PPP leader and former President Asif Ali Zardari is expected to be nominated for the ceremonial President position.The alliance has proven controversial given the historically adversarial relationship between the PML-N and PPP. Their partnership is perceived by many as an unprincipled bid for power at the expense of a genuine political vision. Shehbaz now faces significant challenges leading this fractious coalition at a difficult moment for Pakistan.
