Who among the following won the Pakistan's Parliamentary Elections in July 2018 and became the Prime Minister?

The correct answer is B) Imran Khan. His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerged as the single largest party in the general election held on 25 July 2018, and Khan was sworn in as Prime Minister on 18 August 2018. The key concept is that Pakistan has a parliamentary system in which the PM is chosen from the majority or coalition in the National Assembly, not elected directly.

• A) Nawaz Sharif: Wrong. The Supreme Court disqualified him in July 2017 in the Panama Papers case, so he could not hold office. His PML-N did contest the 2018 polls but lost power.
• C) Bilawal Bhutto: Wrong. He led the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) campaign but was not a PM candidate who won. He later became a senior opposition figure.
• D) Reham Khan: Wrong. She is a journalist and Imran Khan's former wife, with no electoral or government role in 2018.

Mains connection: Pakistan's civil-military balance and the role of judiciary in electoral politics are recurring GS-2 and international relations themes.

Trap: Candidates confuse the party that won with the person who became PM. Also, the Panama case is often mixed up with Nawaz Sharif's later role. Note that Imran Khan was removed through a no-confidence vote in April 2022, and Shehbaz Sharif became PM after that.