Syed Raza Hassan

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistan’s ruling coalition took control of Pakistan’s lower house of parliament Saturday. The election of a speaker solidified control after Imran Khan, the former prime minister, was defeated in a no confidence vote.

Khan and the previous speaker were both Khan allies. They tried to delay and block the vote and for it to be delayed, but the top court ruled that their efforts were illegal.

Khan’s removal from office was approved by the lower chamber of parliament on Sunday.

Shehbaz Sharif has been chosen as new prime minster by the ruling alliance.

Raja Pervaiz Ashraf (former prime minister) is now the speaker. In the absence Khan’s party which withdrew en masse on Monday, he was unopposed.

“Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was sworn in as the 22nd Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly,” stated a Twitter account (NYSE:), run by staff of Pakistan’s National Assembly. This lower house of Parliament is also known as the National Assembly.

Resignations are still being processed. Pakistan is likely to hold close to 100 general elections within the next two months if it accepts these resignations. It will be a distraction for Sharif’s coalition partners as well as a possible platform for Khan to rally support.

Sharif will likely name his cabinet within the next days. This new government faces a variety of policy problems, including dealing with an economy that is in serious trouble.