Sharjah24 – AFP: Shehbaz Sharif was set Monday to become Pakistan's new prime minister, but the country still faces months of political crisis with ousted premier Imran Khan vowing disruption from the wings.
Khan was dismissed Sunday after losing a no-confidence vote, paving the way for an opposition alliance that faces the same issues that bedevilled the cricket star-turned-politician.
Sharif, leader of the centrist Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) is certain to be chosen ahead of the token candidacy of Khan loyalist Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the former foreign minister.
Whether Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers even take part remains to be seen, with a party committee recommending they quit en masse to protest against what they say has been "regime change" by the United States.
Up to 20 of PTI's 155 lawmakers had said they would cross the floor ahead of Khan's no-confidence vote on Sunday, but in the end the defection of a coalition partner meant their support wasn't needed.
Sharif's first task will be to form a cabinet that will also draw heavily from the centre-left Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), as well as find space for the smaller conservative Jamiat-ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) group.
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