ISLAMABAD: Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday congratulated Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Sabah, the son of Kuwait’s emir, on his appointment as prime minister of the oil-rich Gulf sheikhdom.
In a tweet, the prime minister said he “looked forward to working” with al-Sabah to “further strengthen Pakistan-Kuwait fraternal relations, rooted deep in shared values and commonality of interests”.
I congratulate His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on his appointment as Prime Minister of Kuwait. I look forward to working closely with him to further strengthen Pakistan-Kuwait fraternal relations, rooted deep in shared values & commonality of interests.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) July 26, 2022
Al-Sabah replaced caretaker premier Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid, who faced a combative parliament amid a feud between the government and elected assembly that has hindered fiscal reform.
Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who took over most of the ruling emir’s duties late last year, named al-Sabah to the post in a decree and asked him to propose a new cabinet for approval.
Last month, the crown prince said he was dissolving parliament and would issue a decree for early elections, a move welcomed by opposition lawmakers who had staged a sit-in to press the prince to name a new prime minister.
Political stability in Kuwait, a US-allied OPEC oil producer, has traditionally hinged on cooperation between the government and parliament, the Gulf Arab region’s oldest and most lively legislature.
Kuwait has given its legislature more influence than similar bodies in other Gulf monarchies, including the power to pass and block laws, question ministers and submit no-confidence motions against senior government officials.
The deadlock between government and parliament in Kuwait, which bans political parties, has often led to cabinet reshuffles and dissolutions of the legislature over the decades, hampering investment and reforms.
— With Reuters
