Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif secures vote of confidence in National Assembly

Shehbaz Sharif

Islamabad, Apr 27 (PTI) Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday secured a vote of confidence from the National Assembly, with 180 lawmakers expressing "full confidence" in his leadership, in a surprise development amidst an increasing confrontation between the government and the top judiciary.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, tabled a resolution in the lower house stating that the National Assembly of Pakistan "reposes its full confidence in the leadership of" Prime Minister Sharif.

The National Assembly Speaker, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, ordered voting which was conducted with lawmakers rising from their seats in favour of adopting the resolution. The resolution was supported by 180 lawmakers in the 342-member National Assembly. The prime minister needed 172 votes to become the leader of the house.