ISLAMABAD - Finally with the support of seven allied parties and two independents, Imran Khan sailed through the electoral race for Prime Minister, securing just four votes extra to simple majority.
On the other hand, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif amassed 96 votes which could have touched the figure of 150 had the PPP not withdrew its support of 54 members in the house.
Imran Khan bagged 176 votes the same his party’s candidate for Speaker National Assembly Asad Qasir had secured.
Besides 151 votes of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf, the allies and two independents who had made the tally of 176 included Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid 3, Muttahida Qoumi Movement(MQM) 7, Grand Democratic Alliance 3, Awami Muslim League 1, Balochistan National Party-Mengal 3, Balochistan Awami Party 5, Jamhooi Watan Party 1 while two out of four independents also voted for Imran Khan.
PTI leaders had tried their best to secure the votes of independent candidates Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir but both of them had refused to support any of the two candidates in the run for Prime Minister. While the other two independents Ali Nawaz Shah and Mohammad Aslam Bootani voted for Imran Khan.
On the other hand, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has some 81 members in the National Assembly while Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal 14 out of 15 members voted for him. The sole MNA belonging to Jamaat-i-Islami stayed away from voting on the direction of party leadership.
Awami National Party only member in the house also voted for Shehbaz Sharif making the total tally of his votes to 96.
Due to reservations on the candidature of Shehbaz Sharif Pakistan People’s Party had linked its support to PML-N with change of candidate which PML-N had refused to accept and hence PPP had not voted for anyone with all its 54 members remained seated in the National Assembly hall at the time of voting.
