Ushered by the support of lawmakers, Imran Khan received 176 votes. The populist Tehreek-e-Insaf party got most seats in the July 25 vote but fell short of a majority in the 342-seat house. It has since acquired backing of a total of 180 lawmakers. 

"Mr @ImranKhanPTI has been elected as the 22nd Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, securing a total of 176 votes, Speaker NA @AsadQaiserPTI declares polling results', was tweeted from the official handle of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party account.

Opposition party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led by Shehbaz Sharif obtained 96 votes.  The election in the 15th National Assembly became just a formality after the Pakistan Peoples Party led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari with 54 seats abstained from voting.

The PML-N and PPP, two parties which have dominated Pakistan’s politics for decades, have both called into question the fairness of last month’s election, citing irregularities after polls closed.

PTI Chief Imran Khan will take oath as Pakistan’s Prime Minister on 18 August, according to sources.

A total of 172 votes in the 342-member lower house of Parliament are needed to form a government.