Finally Shehbaz Sharif has taken oath in office becoming the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan but not without yet another delay. Pakistani President Arif Alvi was to administer the oath to Sharif at 8pm but just two hours before the oath taking ceremony, the President House said in a statement that "President Arif Alvi has complained of discomfort. The physician has examined him thoroughly and has advised him to rest for a few days.”

President Dr. Arif Alvi has complained of discomfort. The physician has examined him thoroughly and has advised him rest for a few days.

— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) April 11, 2022

In the absence of the president Alvi who is a known Imran Khan loyalist, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani administered oath of office to Shehbaz Sharif for the post of the Prime Minister. Sharif insisted on taking the oath on the same day. The ceremony took place in Aiwan-e-Sadr (President House) where  Alvi was supposedly taking “rest”.

LIVE #APPNews : Swearing-in ceremony of Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan #Islambad @CMShehbaz @PakPMO @PresOfPakistan https://t.co/JVoBKiqRjn

— APP 🇵🇰 (@appcsocialmedia) April 11, 2022

According to media reports, till evening the President was all right and was busy with his various appointments. There are rumours, like Imran Khan and his party members, president Alvi too decided to ‘boycott” Sharif’s oath taking ceremony.

President Alvi belongs to Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Party (PTI) and earlier Khan had asked him to resign from his post but later left it to him to take his own call.

Earlier in the afternoon, in a high voltage drama. Shehbaz Sharif was elected unopposed after former premier Imran Khan’s prime ministerial candidate and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi decided to boycott with his party members the National Assembly after Imran Khan told his party’s assembly members to resign en masse from the National Assembly.

After getting elected, Shehbaz Sharif announced several policy measures with a particular focus on the economy and foreign relations.

Also Read: New beginning in Pakistan as Shehbaz Sharif is elected unopposed as Prime Minister

“We want good relations with India but lasting peace cannot be achieved until the resolution of the Kashmir issue. I suggest to PM Modi to sit down and talk about Kashmir issues resolution under UN resolutions”, says PM  Sharif in the usual rhetoric speech by Pakistani leaders. re condition.

According to Pakistani watchers, the Sharifs especially the senior Sharif – Nawaz Sharif has always been an advocate of better ties with India. Shehbaz’s last India visit was in December 2013, when he met then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

It may be recalled that On April 2, the Pakistani army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had said that  all disputes with India should be settled peacefully through dialogue, saying Islamabad continues to believe in using diplomacy to resolve all outstanding issues including Kashmir to keep the “flames of fire away from our region”.

Also Read: With obstacle Imran Khan out of the way, Pak army chief reaches out to India to resolve Kashmir

Also read: Will Bilawal Bhutto be Pakistan’s new Foreign Minister?