Newly-elected Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif deviates from standard oath; strokes controversy

Shehbaz Sharif’s oath ceremony has sparked a controversy after the newly-elected Prime Minister of Pakistan reportedly deviated from the standard statements, as mandated in the constitution of Pakistan. Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif took oath as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan on Monday evening, hours after being elected by the National Assembly of the country. 

Shehbaz Sharif was administered the oath by the Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani after President Arif Alvi fell ill.

Taking to Twitter, Marvi Sirmed, a professor at the University of Connecticut, said it is outrageous to see how the oath to PM’s office has been changed. 

Explaining the changes in Pak PM’s oath, she even asked how can a babu just change it.

“It is outrageous to see how the oath to PM’s office has been changed and PM @CMShehbaz (change your handle sir) agreeing to it. Was the text changed with your consent Bilawal Bhutto Zardari? Can you please at least raise this? Oath is part of constitution. How can a babu just change it?” Marvi Sirmed tweeted.

Meanwhile, the newly-elected Pakistan prime minister earlier on Monday said that his government wants good relations with India, but added that peace would not be possible without the resolution of the so-called “Kashmir issue”.

“Neighbours are not a matter of choice, it is something we have to live with. Unfortunately, our relations with India could not improve in the past,” Sharif said. 

“We want good relations with India, but peace can not be discussed without resolution of the Kashmir issue,” he said.

(With inputs from ANI)

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