Pakistani lawmakers back PM in confidence vote in Parliament

By MUNIR AHMED
Associated Press

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Lawmakers from Pakistan’s ruling party have overwhelmingly backed Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s government in a confidence vote in Parliament. Thursday’s vote, called by the premier himself, was intended to halt speculations that Sharif was losing support amid a major economic crisis. Cash-strapped Pakistan is struggling to avoid a default and is now in talks with the International Monetary Fund on the revival of a $6 billion bailout signed in 2019 by Sharif’s predecessor, then-Prime Minister Imran Khan. Sharif’s government in recent weeks slashed subsidies and raised taxes to comply with the bailout terms. Those measures, however, resulted in increases in the price of food, gas and power.