16:11: National Assembly session adjourned for an indefinite period.

15:40: JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman also spoke on the floor of the House.

15:15: Sheikh Rashid Ahmed of the APML speaking on the floor of the House.

14: 36: Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Farooq Sattar was speaking on the floor of the assembly.

14:29: Chief of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party also spoke on the floor of the House.

14:25: Hashmi congratulated Sharif on his election and said today was historic day for the country. The PTI leader further said that democracy was the only way to progress and that Sharif's success was now the success of Pakistan.

The PTI leader said he prays that the democratic process continues in the country and reiterated the stance of party chief Imran Khan that drone attacks should be stopped.

Hashmi said the smaller provinces were the key to Pakistan's strength and hoped that the incoming government would give more representation to these provinces.

He said PTI would play the role of a strong opposition and would stand by the government wherever it thought best.

14:15: PTI's Makhdoom Javed Hashmi addressing the National Assembly.

13:55: Pakistan Peoples Party's candidate for prime minister, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, on Wednesday said democracy had strengthened its hold in the country.

Speaking on the floor of the House after losing the election to Nawaz Sharif, Fahim said PPP should be getting credit for the fact that PML-N chief had succeeded in becoming prime minister for a third time.

Fahim said democracy had matured in Pakistan, adding that his party should be getting the credit for that as it had managed to accomplish the passage of the 18th, 19th and 20th amendments to the Constitution.

The PPP leader said that in the previous government led by his party, no one had been sent to jail for her/his political beliefs.

Fahim said it was heartening that power had been transferred from one democratically-elected civilian government to another and that the PPP had cleansed the state of the blot of dictatorship.

He said the role of intelligence agencies in Pakistan's political landscape should come to an end and also made a reference to the Asghar Khan case during his address.

Fahim further said that the incoming government should implement the Iran-Pakistan pipeline project.

13:45: PPP leader Amin Fahim addresses the National Assembly.

13: 20: Nawaz Sharif address National Assembly and vows to keep the mandate entrusted upon him by the people of Pakistan. Sharif thanked the MNAs who voted in today’s election for the office of the prime minister. He said the people’s verdict had shown that democracy was the only way forward.

Sharif said he was heartened to see that the people had spoken and that there was no room left for any misadventures sabotaging the democratic process in the country.

He said he wished that the House would stand by the mandate entrusted upon it by the people and pledged to serve the country in the best possible manner.

Sharif said time had begun for politics of principles and not of power. He added that the PML-N embraced the process of change by leaving the field open for Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Sharif said the process was also observed in Balochistan where PML-N vacated the field for the representatives of the people of the province.

Sharif recounted his party’s time in the previous Parliament, saying PML-N stuck to its relationship with the Constitution and the democratic process.

The newly-elected prime minister said he wanted the people to believe that he would not sit still and would do all in his power to change the fate of the country.

He said his government’s priority would be to give the country a solid infrastructure, bring in economic reforms and tackle corruption.

Sharif vowed that his government would improve the conditions of religious minorities in the country, adding that he also hoped that the media would be reviewing the performance of his cabinet and would assist him and his party in reforming governance.

The prime minister also referred to the law and order situation in Karachi and said his party would work tirelessly to ensure that the city’s security situation improves.

He moreover said that drone attacks in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas should come to an end.

13:15: Nawaz Sharif elected prime minister with 244 votes. Fahim bagged 42 votes, whereas Hashmi secured 31 votes.

13:09: Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi of Pakistan Muslim League - Quaid (PML-Q) was notably missing from today's session of the House.

13:01: MNAs are returning to their seats in the assembly hall after voting.

12:58: Voting ends; the process of counting votes in the election for prime minister has started.

12:56: Over 172 MNAs have approached lobby A, the area where MNAs wanting to vote for Nawaz Sharif were requested to proceed.

12:50: A candidate needs votes from 172 MNAs to be elected to the post of prime minister.

12:26: MNAs proceed to voting. Those wishing to vote for Nawaz Sharif proceed to lobby A, those wanting to vote for Amin Fahim proceed to lobby B and MNAs for Javed Hashmi proceed to lobby C.

12:24: Speaker Sadiq requests MNAs to proceed to voting for the candidates.

12:22: Speaker Sadiq reads out names of candidates for the post of prime minister. The names are: Nawaz Sharif, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi and Makhdoom Amin Fahim.

12:21: Bells start ringing outside the House for the attention of the MNAs. This will be done for five minutes after which the doors of the House would be shut for the premier's election.

12:14: Speaker requests guests to stop clapping and chanting slogans. He said the rules do not allow that. It’s an august house and we should maintain its dignity, Sadiq said.

12:10: In response to Qureshi’s objection, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq offered his regrets and said media personnel were not treated as well as they should have been. Sadiq took repsonsiblity of the situation and apologised to house and two media representatives.

12:09: Shah Mehmood Qureshi of PTI requested to speak. Brought up violations of rules of the House; pointed out to clapping and sloganeering in the galleries. Regulations don’t allow that, Qureshi said. He also pointed out to political activists in the press galleries and said Sadiq should not have gone to the press gallery.

12:07: Speaker Ayaz Sadiq administers oath to remaining MNAs and requests them to sign the roll of members.

12:06: Nawaz Sharif arrives at the National Assembly.

12:05: The successful candidates who could not take oath earlier also include JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman.

12:04: NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq requests four successful candidates who could not take oath earlier to rise from their seats and take the oath.

12:00: National Assembly session to elect leader of the House starts.

11:55: Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq arrives at the press gallery; directs political activists to vacate area.

11:50: Nawaz to leave Punjab House for Parliament shortly.

11:30: Meeting of the PPP’s parliamentary party ends.

11:05: PML-N supporters storm press gallery, occupy seats; many journalists left out.

11:03: All Pakistan Muslim League’s president Sheikh Rasheed arrives in the National Assembly.

11:00: Awami National Party announces support for Nawaz Sharif for today's election to the office of the prime minister.

10:50: PML-N MNA Sheikh Aftab appointed as chief whip of the ruling party in the National Assembly. Aftab has also previously served as the chief whip of the party.

10:49: PML-N’s parliamentary party’s meeting concludes. Stalwarts hope Nawaz will be elected with two-third majority.

10:46: Makhdoom Amin Fahim arrives in the National Assembly. The PPP's candidate for the prime minister slot said he would not withdraw his candidature in favour of Nawaz Sharif.

10:41: PML-N's parliamentary party meeting underway at Parliament House.

10:28: JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman arrives at the National Assembly. Upon arrival, Rehman said his party would vote for Nawaz Sharif in the election for the prime minister's position.

10:27: Nawaz Sharif still at Punjab House, holding last minute consultations with aides.

10:26: Javed Hashmi of PTI was the first of the contenders for the PM post arrives in National Assembly.

10:24: Hamza Shahbaz arrives at the National Assembly.

10:23: Emotions run high as PML-N stalwarts chant sher slogans while entering the Parliament.