# Premiership of Shehbaz Sharif

* This article is part of a series aboutShehbaz Sharif
Prime Minister of PakistanIncumbent
Early life
Political career
Electoral history
Elections
1997
2008
2013
2018
2024
Premiership
First ministry and term
First Shehbaz Sharif government
International trips
Political unrest
Economic crisis
Floods
Special Investment Facilitation Council
EXIM Bank
Hazara Electric Supply Company
Pakistan Sovereign Wealth Fund
Pakistan Airports Authority
National Commission for Personal Data Protection
Land Information and Management System
National Information Technology Board
Pakistan Computer Emergency Response Team
National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency
Bureau of Air Safety Investigation
Negotiations with TTP
2023 Geneva Conference
Bills
Contempt of Parliament
Islamabad Nature Conservation and Wildlife Management Act 2023
Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023
Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023
Budgets
2022–23 federal budget
2023–24 federal budget
2023 Pakistan Digital Census
Pakistan–Turkey Free Trade Agreement
Second ministry and term
Second Shehbaz Sharif government
International trips
Azm-e-Istehkam
SCO Heads of Government Summit
Constitutional Package
Budgets
2024-25 Federal Budget
Chief Minister of Punjab
Chief Ministership of Shehbaz Sharif
Provincial governments
First government
Second government
Third government
Model Town tragedy
Daanish Schools
Punjab Educational Endowment Fund
Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park
Dolphin Force
Protection of Women against Violence Bill, 2015
Orange Line (Lahore Metro)
Multan Metrobus
Punjab Land Records Authority
Punjab Food Authority
Information Technology University
Punjab Forensic Science Agency
Lahore Waste Management Company
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The premiership of Shehbaz Sharif began on 11 April, 2022 after he was nominated as a candidate for Prime Minister of Pakistan by opposition parties following a vote of no confidence in then-Prime Minister Imran Khan during the 2022 Pakistani constitutional crisis. He was sworn in as prime minister by Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani while acting as president on behalf of Arif Alvi. Sharif remained in office until 14 August 2023, when he stepped down for a caretaker government to participate in the 2024 general election. After a heavily contested election, Sharif was re-elected as prime minister on 4 March 2024, defeating the PTI-backed Omar Ayub Khan.

## Accession

After the 2022 Pakistan economic crisis led to political instability, the struggle was also joined by several dissident members of Khan's own party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). On 10 April 2022, the coalition succeeded in ousting Khan through a no-confidence motion, after which the Pakistan Democratic Movement formed its own government, choosing the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif as the country's prime minister.

## First term (2022–2023)
### Economic policy

The new government was faced with multiple economic challenges upon formation, mainly relating to the completion of the $6 billion IMF bailout program approved during Imran Khan's tenure. The government decided not to remove fuel and power subsidies imposed by Imran Khan during the last days of his tenure, viewing such a move as politically damaging to the new government. This was opposed by the Finance Ministry on the grounds that it could jeopardize the IMF program and increase the fiscal deficit.

#### PM's Kissan Package

Following wide-spread flooding and farmer protests lead by the Pakistan Kissan Ittehad in 2022, Shehbaz Sharif announced a Rs. 1.8 trillion Kisan Package. The package included the following measures;
* Rs. 5 billion for flood-hit farmer loans
* Produce Index Unit (PIU) value increased to Rs. 10,000 for agro-loans
* Rs. 10 billion for agricultural small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
* GoP import program of 5-year-old, second-hand tractors
** 50% rebate on duty for importing 5-year-old, second-hand tractors
** 36% rebate on duty for importing 3-year-old tractors
** Duty on completely knocked down (CKD) parts reduced from 35% to 15%
* Subsidy on Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), Rs. 11,250 per bag
* Distribution of 1.2 million bags of wheat seeds (Rs13.20 billion for program)
* GoP import program of 500,000 tons of urea
** Rs. 30 billion subsidy program on urea
* GoP import program of 1.6 million tons of wheat
* DISCO and K-Electric private agro-consumers provided Rs3.60/kWh decrease
* Tubewell electricity tarify/utility rate decreased by Rs3.60/kWh
The State Bank of Pakistan has financed the following measures of the "PM’s Kissan Package;"
* Markup Waiver Scheme (MWS): subsistence farmers with "outstanding" debts of up to Rs 500,000 per loan had their mark-up's waived. Under the MWS banks waived Rs 2.96 billion.
* GoP Markup Subsidy Scheme (GMSS): Rs. 10.05 billion outlaid to 43,465 borrowers with debts of Rs. 500,000
* Interest Free Loans and Risk Sharing Scheme for Landless Farmers (IF&RSLF): Upton Rs. 200,000 in interest free loans, Rs. 5.8 billion outlaid to 47,425 borrowers.
* Markup Subsidy and Risk Sharing Scheme for Farm Mechanization (MSRSSFM): Loans up to Rs. 30 million for purchase of "tractors, threshers, combined harvesters, planters etc." The scheme was extended by Govt to June 30, 2024.
* PM’s Youth Business and Agriculture Loan Scheme (PMYB&ALS): Loan Scheme, Rs 26.8 billion disbursed by March 31, 2024
Despite a subsidy on DAP and Urea fertilizers, an inter-ministerial meeting of the Kissan Package found that their use had declined due to continued increases in prices and decreases in supply.

### Foreign policy

The government immediately sought to mend ties with the United States that were strained by Imran Khan's Lettergate controversy, despite Washington's increasing prioritization of India over Pakistan in its foreign policy. Experts believed the goal of this was to balance relations between the US and China, while also prioritising CPEC-related cooperation with China. However, Pakistan has only received a limited response from the Biden administration, the United States and India have also demanded that Pakistan stop cross-border terrorist activities.

### Political crisis

2022–2023 Pakistan political unrest continues, and clashes intensify after arrest of former PM Imran Khan. Following the unrest, the Pakistani government supported the transfer of protesters to court-martial. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) downgraded Pakistan from a 'hybrid regime' to an 'authoritarian regime', in its Democracy Index 2023.

## Second term (2024–present)

His second tenure saw Pakistan host the 2024 SCO summit, where Shehbaz held talks on regional development and cooperation with India and other SCO members. He also attempted to ban the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the largest political party in Pakistan. His government saw the initiation of Operation Azm-e-Istehkam and attempted to pass new constitutional amendments making changes to the Judiciary of Pakistan, though opposition groups alleged that their members were abducted and 'coercive tactics' were used by his government to attempt to pass the amendments. In Febua
Protests have continued to proliferate in Pakistan, as economic conditions and political pressures continue. IMF conditions led to increases in tax rates, while purchasing power declined in tandem with stagnant wage growth, outpaced by inflation.
Shehbaz’s administration prioritized banning the social media platform Twitter (X), and installed an internet firewall. The internet firewall was created by the government in order to block content it deems propaganda. The firewall was widely criticized for censorship. Furthermore, the internet firewall project was estimated to cost $300 Million. The firewall resulted in the internet worsening in Pakistan and negatively affecting businesses.