Imran Khan is likely to become Pakistan prime minister

Significance

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s five-year term ended on May 31. PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif faces a tough fight to become prime minister, with the main challenge set to come from Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and further opposition provided by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

Impacts

• With Khan as prime minister, the military would likely have free rein to pursue an anti-India foreign policy.
• Khan would step up his criticisms of the war in Afghanistan and likely have a difficult relationship with US President Donald Trump.
• Pakistan under any government will pursue balanced diplomacy in the Middle East, seeking good ties with both Saudi Arabia and Iran.