<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Shehbaz Sharif was sworn in as Pakistan’s new prime minister on Monday after being elected a day earlier in a raucous parliamentary session.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He held the same position from April 2022 to August 2023, replacing archrival Imran Khan who was kicked out of the job after a no-confidence vote. Shehbaz is the younger brother of three-time premier Nawaz Sharif.</div><div><br></div><div>His appointment is controversial because of parliamentary elections last month that his opponents claimed were rigged in his favor.</div><div><br></div><div>Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, the PTI, insists it did better in the poll but that electoral theft and other irregularities deprived it of a parliamentary majority.</div><div><br></div><div>Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League party, the PML-N, didn’t win enough seats to form a government but went into coalition with others to get a majority, clearing his path to a second premiership.</div><div><br></div><div>He secured 201 votes in parliament to become prime minister, defeating the PTI-backed candidate Omar Ayub, who got 92 votes.</div><div><br></div><div>Monday’s swearing-in ceremony was held in the capital, Islamabad. President Arif administered the oath of office.</div><div><br></div><div>Sharif pledged to perform his duties and functions with honesty and loyalty and always for the country's independence, “integrity, stability, and for the sake of unity.”</div><div><br></div><div>But stability and unity are in short supply in Pakistani politics, and Sharif has a tough task of bringing lawmakers together to steer the country through challenging times.</div><div><br></div><div>The first two sessions of parliament have been chaotic and noisy, with the opposition shouting and jeering at the new government because of their election grievances.</div><div><br></div><div>Sharif is the 24th prime minister in Pakistan’s 77-year history. - AP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>