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Opinion | What Pakistan’s political changes mean for China, the US and India
- With Imran Khan out of the picture, the coalition government is set to maintain strong relations with China, while ties with the US should continue to stabilise
- The new political landscape could also pave the way for meaningful dialogue with India, leading to warmer relations
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On March 3, Shehbaz Sharif was elected as Pakistan’s new prime minister. A member of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), he was a joint candidate of an eight-party coalition for the post.
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The general election, held on February 8, resulted in a split mandate, with no single party securing a simple majority to form a government. Candidates backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, won 93 seats, followed by the PML-N and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) with 75 and 54 seats respectively.
The PML-N reached out to the PPP to form a coalition government. These negotiations resulted in an understanding that Sharif would be their joint candidate for prime minister with Asif Ali Zardari – – a former president and the husband of the late prime minister Benazir Bhutto – for president.
So just how will Pakistan’s political changes affect its foreign policy?
Zardari is likely to try to influence the country’s foreign – and domestic security and economic – policies in an effort to pave the way in the next general election for his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, to become prime minister.
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If Bilawal assumes the role of foreign minister, as previously when he cultivated warm relations with China, it could enhance alignment between the two parties in foreign policy decisions.
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