Pakistan: PML-N's Shehbaz Sharif, PTI's Shah Mahmood Qureshi file nominations for PM election

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday nominated himself for the post of Pakistan's prime minister after the ouster of Imran Khan.

The move came hours after Khan was removed from office through a no-confidence vote held late Saturday night, 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.

“Special thanks to media, civil society, lawyers, my Quaid Nawaz Sharif, Asif Zardari, Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman, Bilawal Bhutto, Khalid Maqbool, Khalid Magsi, Mosin Dawar, Ali Wazir, Amir Haider Hoti & leaders & workers of all political parties for standing up for the Constitution!” he tweeted.

Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chair Asif Ali Zardari had proposed Shehbaz’s name for prime minister’s position in a joint opposition’s meeting last month.

PML-N senior leaders Khawaja Asif and Rana Tanveer will act as endorsers for Shehbaz.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party nominated 65-year-old former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi as its candidate for the premier’s post.

The National Assembly Secretariat had earlier announced the time for the submission of nomination papers and scrutiny for the election of premier and leader of the house.