Caretaker setup no more in place as Imran assumes charge of PM

ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Division in a notification on Saturday announced that the caretaker setup, headed by Care-taker Prime Minister Justice (retd) Nasir-ul-Mulk has ceased to hold office, after Prime Minister Imran Khan Niazi assumed charge of his office, under Article 91(5) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

New Prime Minister Imran Khan was sworn in at a ceremony in Islamabad earlier in the day, ushering in a new political era as the World Cup cricket hero officially took the reins of power in the country.

The ceremony at the President’s House in the capital marks the end of decades of rotating leadership between the ousted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), punctuated by periods of army rule.

A tearful Khan smiled as he stumbled over some of the words of the oath administered to him by President Mamnoon Hussain during the ceremony, televised live by the PTV.

He swore to “bear true faith and allegiance to Pakistan”, and to “discharge my duties and perform my functions honestly, to the best of my ability… and always in the interest of the sovereignty, integrity, solidarity, well-being and prosperity of Pakistan”.

The 65-year-old former cricketer, who captained Pakistan to World Cup victory in 1992, had won a confidence vote in the National Assembly the previous day.

In parliament on Friday he came out fighting with a divisive speech in which he vowed to hold corrupt officials accountable.

British Prime Minister Theresa May was among the first world leader to telephone and congratulate her new counterpart.

“They agreed to work together to build on the good relations in a wide range of areas, including security cooperation, anti-corruption, and bilateral trade,” a statement issued by British Prime Minister’s office said.

Khan had invited the rest of the 1992 cricket team to the ceremony, and fast bowler Wasim Akram was pictured smiling among the crowd.

India’s Navjot Singh Sidhu, was seated in the front row and earlier warmly embraced the army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Later, Khan went to the Prime Minister’s house in the capital, where he was met by a guard of honour.