Putin congratulates PM Sharif, hopes for interaction on Afghanistan

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the new Prime Minister of Pakistan.

According to the Russian embassy in Pakistan, Putin has expressed hope that Shehbaz’s activities will “contribute to further development of the Pakistan-Russia cooperation and partner interaction on the Afghan settlement as well as countering international terrorism.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and India’s Narendra Modi had also congratulated Shehbaz on his election, Geo TV reported.

Shehbaz was sworn in as the prime minister on April 11 following the ouster of Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion, making him the first premier to be ousted through the democratic process.