President Zardari, PM Shehbaz congratulate Balen Shah on assuming office as Prime Minister of Nepal

Islamabad (Web Desk): President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have congratulated Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen Shah, on taking office as Nepal’s Prime Minister, following his party’s sweeping victory in the elections.

In their separate messages, the president and the premier underlined Pakistan’s appreciation for its long-standing and friendly ties with Nepal.

“It is encouraging to see youth-led leadership shaping the region,” President Zardari said.

Sharing his message on social media platform X, PM Shehbaz wrote, “Pakistan deeply values its longstanding and friendly relations with Nepal and looks forward to working closely with Your Excellency to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and advance our shared goals of regional peace, stability, and prosperity.”

Earlier, Balen Shah was officially sworn in as the Prime Minister of Nepal during a special ceremony at the President’s Office on Friday.

Nepal's President Ramchandra Paudel had appointed Shah under Article 76(1) of the Constitution and personally administered the oath of office and secrecy.

The ceremony was attended by key dignitaries, including Vice President Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav, Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut, National Assembly Chair Narayan Prasad Dahal, former prime ministers, senior government officials, heads of security agencies, and representatives from the diplomatic community.

In a historic first, the event followed a Vedic–Sanatan tradition, featuring the blowing of seven conches, recitations by 108 Batuks, and chants by 108 Buddhist monks.

Shah, the parliamentary leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, was unanimously elected for the premiership by his party on Thursday. He had won his House of Representatives seat from Jhapa-5 in the March 5 elections, defeating former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli by a significant margin.

Previously serving as the mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Shah resigned earlier this year to contest the national election, making a remarkable jump from local governance to the nation’s top executive office.

After taking office, he announced his Cabinet while personally retaining the Defence and Industry portfolios.

An engineer by profession and a former rapper, Shah gained widespread recognition during his mayoral tenure for his work in urban reforms, heritage conservation, and infrastructure development.