Pakistan’s Premier Imran Khan has been deposed
Pakistan’s Premier Imran Khan has been deposed as the country’s leader following a vote of no confidence over allegations of economic mismanagement and mismanagement of the country’s foreign policy, bringing an end to his turbulent tenure. The former cricket star was defeated in a parliamentary vote held on Sunday. To depose him, the opposition needed a minimum of 172 votes from the 342-member assembly. A coalition of politicians, including more than a dozen defectors from Khan’s own political party, supported the vote of no confidence.
The vote came after Pakistan’s Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that a previous vote of no confidence against Khan over allegations of economic mismanagement was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court also declared Khan’s earlier order to dissolve parliament and call for early elections to have “no legal effect” in its decision. The speaker of the National Assembly will now send Khan a notice calling for a new session of parliament to elect a new prime minister. In a Friday night address to the nation, Khan repeated unverified claims that the vote of no confidence was the result of a “foreign conspiracy” linked to the US. Following a vote of confidence, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan was deposed as the country’s leader.
Rise to Power
Since Khan came to power in 2018 following an election marred by allegations of vote-rigging and foul play, Pakistan’s main opposition parties have been rallying for his ouster. More recently, he has been dogged by accusations of fiscal negligence as his government battles depleting foreign exchange reserves and double-digit inflation, with the cost of necessities like food and fuel skyrocketing. According to Reuters, the Pakistani rupee hit an all-time low on Thursday. Khan’s response has been to reiterate his claims that the US is fueling opposition to him.
The allegations
His failure to collaborate with his allies and the military caused a schism within his coalition government. As public dissatisfaction with his leadership grew, the opposition introduced a motion in parliament calling for a vote of no confidence. They had urged Khan to resign before the election. Instead, Khan called for an early election last Sunday in a dramatic attempt to cling to power after the deputy speaker of parliament blocked a vote of no confidence against him that appeared to be on the verge of passing. The move, as well as Khan’s subsequent dissolution of parliament, infuriated an opposition that had been calling for his ouster for months. Khan’s removal comes just four years into his presidency, and there are now fears that it will increase the risk of political instability in the South Asian nation.