Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday nominated himself for the post of prime minister, while the former ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) named Shah Mehmood Qureshi as its candidate for the post.
The move came hours after Prime Minister Imran Khan was removed from office through a no-confidence vote held early Sunday morning, becoming the first premier in the country's history to be sent home after losing the trust of the House.
In accordance with the deadline of the submission stipulated by the National Assembly, 70-year-old Shehbaz submitted nomination papers for the new leader of the house, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
PML-N senior leaders Khawaja Asif and Rana Tanveer will act as endorsers for Shehbaz. Khan's party nominated 65-year-old former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi as its candidate for the premier's post.
PTI leaders Aamir Dogar and Ali Muhammad Khan will serve as endorsers for the party's vice-chairman.
National Assembly proceedings were adjourned in the early hours of Sunday and the House will meet again on April 11 at 2.30 pm to elect the new premier after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was removed from office through a no-confidence vote.
Ayaz Sadiq of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, who was chairing the crucial session, had had earlier said the nomination papers for the new prime minister may be submitted by 2.30 pm on Sunday and the scrutiny would be done by 3.30 pm.
He summoned the session on Monday at 11.30 am and said the new premier would be elected then. However, the National Assembly of Pakistan later informed on its official Twitter account that the House will meet at 2.30 pm on April 11.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi File picture
The younger brother of three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif led a successful bid by the Opposition in parliament to topple Imran Khan in a no-confidence vote early on Sunday that Imran Khan's supporters tried for hours to block.
The joint Opposition - a rainbow of socialist, liberal and radically religious parties - secured the support of 174 members in the 342-member National Assembly, more than the needed strength of 172 to oust the prime minister on a day full of drama and multiple adjournments of the Lower House.
No prime minister in Pakistan's history was ever ousted through a no-confidence motion. Khan is the first premier whose fate was decided through a trust vote.
Also, no Pakistani prime minister has ever completed a full five-year term in office.
Khan, 69, was not present in the lower house at the time of voting. His party lawmakers staged a walkout during the voting. However, PTI's dissident members were present in the house and sat on the government benches. The removal of Khan has set in motion the process to elect the new leader of the house.
