Pakistan’s recently elected Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, made a slip of the tongue during his victory speech in the National Assembly on Sunday, referring to himself as the “leader of the opposition.”
Shehbaz, the consensus nominee of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for the PM’s post, secured 201 votes in the 336-member house. His challenger Omar Ayub Khan of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan‘s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured only 92 votes.
Leader of Opposition PM Shehbaz Sharif pic.twitter.com/7v5yHGW9RD
— Ashiq Ali Breceli (@AshiqAlib02) March 3, 2024
Shehbaz Extends Gratitude To His Elder Brother And Alliance
According to the PTI, In his addresses following the victory, the 72-year-old PML-N president extends gratitude to his elder brother Nawaz and all coalition partners for their confidence in him.
However, he inadvertently labeled himself as the “leader of the opposition” while expressing appreciation to his party members for their support during the election. “I want to express heartfelt thanks to my party members who voted and elected me the leader of the opposition of this house,” he remarked, PTI reported.
Shehbaz is scheduled to take the oath of office on Monday at the Presidential mansion, Aiwan-e-Sadr.
