Pakistan’s Newly Elected Parliament Takes Oath Amid Poll Rigging Allegations

Lawmakers were sworn in during the inaugural session of Pakistan’s new parliament on Thursday, three weeks after an election plagued by widespread claims of rigging.

Pakistan’s February 8 election saw ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan imprisoned and prevented from campaigning, and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party was targeted by a campaign of arrests and restrictions.

Khan’s supporters defied the onslaught, winning more seats than any other party, but the military-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is preparing to replace them with a coalition administration.

According to the coalition agreement, former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who ousted Khan in a 2022 no-confidence vote, will be re-elected as Prime Minister by new parliamentarians in the coming days.

Parliamentarians began arriving at the 336-seat National Assembly in Islamabad on Thursday morning, taking their oaths of office together around 11:30 a.m. (0630 GMT).

PTI members were compelled to run as independents in the election, but some showed up to parliament with portraits of Khan, brandishing them in defiance as Sharif and other PML-N officials entered the house.

“In a democracy, a parliament is a sacred place”, PTI acting chairman Gohar Ali Khan told media as he arrived to be sworn in.

“Those who don’t have public trust and don’t have the mandate should not be sitting here”, Khan added.

The cabinet positions are yet to be disclosed.

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