Khan's party wins top office in Pakistan's Punjab

Supporters of Pakistan's cricketer-turned politician and head of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice) Imran Khan, celebrate after Khan takes oath as a Prime Minister, in Lahore on August 18, 2018. (AFP)

• PTI is now the governing party in the National Assembly as well as the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

LAHORE: The legislature in Pakistan's largest province has elected a member of Prime Minister Imran Khan's party as chief minister following last month's elections.
Usman Buzdar won a simple majority of 186 votes out of 371 in the Punjab provincial assembly on Sunday, defeating Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, who secured 159. Sharif is the son of the previous chief minister, Shahbaz Sharif, and the nephew of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who has been jailed on corruption allegations.
Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League won the most seats in the Punjab assembly in last month's elections, but Buzdar prevailed with the support of independents and allied parties.
Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaf is now the governing party in the National Assembly as well as the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.