PM Abbasi receives guard of honour at Prime Minister House

ISLAMABAD: After receiving a guard of honour presented by contingent of the armed forces at the Prime Minister House here, PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi officially took charge as the chief executive of the country, ARY News reported on Thursday.

Abbasi sworn in as prime minister of Pakistan on Tuesday after winning 221 votes out of 339 in the National Assembly on the same day.

Soon after his victory in the lower house as new Prime Minister, he addressed the house and said that he was grateful to all of the legislators for upholding the democratic process either they voted for or against him.

“I am thankful to people of Pakistan and the party’s leader Nawaz Sharif,” he added.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday after consultative meeting with ousted predecessor Mian Nawaz Sharif, Abbasi said that the new federal cabinet would take oath in a couple of days.

On the occasion, he said that the party chief has directed him to swiftly complete all ongoing projects.

He further said that the ousted premier had directed to continue the policies of the previous government, with special attention on ongoing projects under CPEC, investment schemes, construction of dams and other power projects while emphasising that the premier may change but the party’s policies would remain same with regard to development of the country.

On Wednesday, the oath-taking ceremony of new federal cabinet was delayed after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) failed to decide the nominees for ministerial portfolios.

Incumbent Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi reached Murree to meet party chief Mian Nawaz Sharif to discuss the formation of new federal cabinet yesterday.

The ruling party senior leaders including Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar, Chaudhry Nisar, Ahsan Iqbal, Mehtab Abbasi, Pervez Rasheed, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Khawaja Asif, along with other senior members, attended the consultative meeting.

According to sources, PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s cabinet was expected to sworn-in at the Presidency at 5:30pm on Wednesday but the event was delayed as the ruling party could not reach on a decision with regard to allotment of ministerial portfolios among the nominees.