NEW DELHI: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was undoubtedly on a sticky wicket until last night. He had lost the requisite numbers in the National Assembly, the support of crucial allies and even the army – which once supported him.
But Khan, who had promised to bowl an inswinging yorker against opposition leaders, did just that on Sunday when deputy speaker Qasim Suri dissolved the assembly ahead of the vote on no-confidence motion. Moments later, President Arif Alvi approved the dissolution of the assembly and the ruling cabinet and called for early elections on Khan’s recommendation.
Expectedly, Imran’s moves to dodge a spirited bid to unseat him drew the ire of opposition leaders, who have promised to fight tooth and nail until the no-trust vote is held.
The fall and fall of Pakistan’s PM
1. The tragic self-destruction of Imran Khan
2. My prediction of Imran being Pak’s Trump is coming true’
3. Imran Khan’s fall from grace is his own fault
4. How Imran has come so close to losing power
For the time being, the cricketer-turned-politician seems to have gotten a reprieve.
Speaking about Sunday’s fracas, Khan laughingly told lawmakers later that the opposition is still unable to understand what happened today.
Khan told them in a meeting in Islamabad that he kept the final decision about defeating the opposition as he wanted to “give them a surprise”.
“The opposition is clueless about the situation right now. If I had disclosed what I was about to do yesterday, they wouldn’t have been shocked,” said Khan, who had effectively lost majority in the 342-member National Assembly.
Khan also repeated his charge that opposition leaders connived with a foreign power to remove him from office.
Challenges ahead
While Khan has managed to hold on to power, his woes are far from over.
For one, the opposition has now moved the Pakistan Supreme Court to challenge the deputy speaker’s decision.
The top court has categorically said that all decisions taken by PM Khan and President Alvi are subject to court’s order, signalling that it may have the final word on the country’s political future. The hearing in the matter will resume on Monday.
Why no-trust vote isn’t about politics
1. How Imran Khan has turned average Pakistani into a loser
2. Why ‘aloo, tamatar’ is a bigger threat to Imran than Pak politics
3. Why Pakistan is a difficult country to be a prime minister
4. Why Imran’s replacement won’t have it easy too
Moreover, even if Khan gets a favorable ruling, his government is over as parliament has been dissolved.
If the SC upholds the deputy speaker’s decision, Khan will have to win the elections which could be held within 90 days.
The current administration is already crippled by a host of issues such as a poorly performing economy, rising militancy and shaky relations with former allies.
Furthermore, inflation is ticking along at over 12 percent, foreign debt is at $130 billion — or 43 percent of GDP — and the rupee has dipped to 185 to the dollar, a decline of nearly a third since Khan took power.
Moreover, Khan, who once enjoyed the support of the all-powerful military, seems to have lost favour with “the establishment”. (The military in Pakistan is unofficially referred to as the establishment).
Khan’s troubles with the military started a few months ago when he differed from Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa on the appointment of the ISI chief.
Ahead of the no-trust vote, Bajwa countered Khan’s anti-US remarks by saying that Pakistan has good relations with America.
Professor Jaffar Ahmed, director of the Institute of Historical and Social Research, said the incoming government will need to stave off “multiple challenges on domestic and foreign relations levels”.
But for now, all eyes will be on the Supreme Court which may well declare Khan’s inswinging yorker a “no ball”.
But Khan, who had promised to bowl an inswinging yorker against opposition leaders, did just that on Sunday when deputy speaker Qasim Suri dissolved the assembly ahead of the vote on no-confidence motion. Moments later, President Arif Alvi approved the dissolution of the assembly and the ruling cabinet and called for early elections on Khan’s recommendation.
Expectedly, Imran’s moves to dodge a spirited bid to unseat him drew the ire of opposition leaders, who have promised to fight tooth and nail until the no-trust vote is held.
The fall and fall of Pakistan’s PM
1. The tragic self-destruction of Imran Khan
2. My prediction of Imran being Pak’s Trump is coming true’
3. Imran Khan’s fall from grace is his own fault
4. How Imran has come so close to losing power
For the time being, the cricketer-turned-politician seems to have gotten a reprieve.
Speaking about Sunday’s fracas, Khan laughingly told lawmakers later that the opposition is still unable to understand what happened today.
Khan told them in a meeting in Islamabad that he kept the final decision about defeating the opposition as he wanted to “give them a surprise”.
“The opposition is clueless about the situation right now. If I had disclosed what I was about to do yesterday, they wouldn’t have been shocked,” said Khan, who had effectively lost majority in the 342-member National Assembly.
Khan also repeated his charge that opposition leaders connived with a foreign power to remove him from office.
Challenges ahead
While Khan has managed to hold on to power, his woes are far from over.
For one, the opposition has now moved the Pakistan Supreme Court to challenge the deputy speaker’s decision.
The top court has categorically said that all decisions taken by PM Khan and President Alvi are subject to court’s order, signalling that it may have the final word on the country’s political future. The hearing in the matter will resume on Monday.
Why no-trust vote isn’t about politics
1. How Imran Khan has turned average Pakistani into a loser
2. Why ‘aloo, tamatar’ is a bigger threat to Imran than Pak politics
3. Why Pakistan is a difficult country to be a prime minister
4. Why Imran’s replacement won’t have it easy too
Moreover, even if Khan gets a favorable ruling, his government is over as parliament has been dissolved.
If the SC upholds the deputy speaker’s decision, Khan will have to win the elections which could be held within 90 days.
The current administration is already crippled by a host of issues such as a poorly performing economy, rising militancy and shaky relations with former allies.
Furthermore, inflation is ticking along at over 12 percent, foreign debt is at $130 billion — or 43 percent of GDP — and the rupee has dipped to 185 to the dollar, a decline of nearly a third since Khan took power.
Moreover, Khan, who once enjoyed the support of the all-powerful military, seems to have lost favour with “the establishment”. (The military in Pakistan is unofficially referred to as the establishment).
Khan’s troubles with the military started a few months ago when he differed from Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa on the appointment of the ISI chief.
Ahead of the no-trust vote, Bajwa countered Khan’s anti-US remarks by saying that Pakistan has good relations with America.
Professor Jaffar Ahmed, director of the Institute of Historical and Social Research, said the incoming government will need to stave off “multiple challenges on domestic and foreign relations levels”.
But for now, all eyes will be on the Supreme Court which may well declare Khan’s inswinging yorker a “no ball”.
Read More:Imran Khan delivers an ‘inswinging yorker’ as promised, but will SC declare it ‘no ball’?
2022-04-03 17:40:00
