Imran Khan

Imran Khan survived an attempt to oust him as Pakistan's prime minister on Sunday, after a no-confidence vote was blocked in parliament by the deputy ...

Khan had called on his supporters in the nation of 220 million to rally in the streets of the capital, Islamabad, on Sunday in protest of the proposed vote. But in a dramatic reprieve for the embattled leader, the vote was blocked as "unconstitutional" by the deputy speaker.For months, Khan has been battling depleting foreign exchange reserves and double digit inflation, with the cost of basic necessities such as food and fuel skyrocketing. Imran Khan survived an attempt to oust him as Pakistan's prime minister on Sunday, after a no-confidence vote was blocked in parliament by the deputy speaker.Khan, who is facing the toughest challenge of his political career, requested the country's president dissolve Parliament and called on the nation to prepare for a fresh election.Khan had been set to lose the no-confidence motion, which was backed by an alliance of politicians -- including more than a dozen defectors from Khan's own political party.

Prime Minister Imran Khan dodged a vote of no-confidence when the deputy speaker refused to hold it, claiming there was "foreign interference".

"The public decides who they want in power," Khan said. Qasim Khan Suri claimed there was "foreign interference" in the attempt to unseat Khan. Media in Pakistan had reported that opposition parties had managed to get the support of 177 members even without counting dissidents from Khan's own party.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Pakistan's embattled prime minister, Imran Khan, outmaneuvered his political opponents Sunday as they attempted to oust him from power ...

As an uproar spread through the legislative chamber, furious opposition leaders accused Khan of treason and declared they would immediately go to the Supreme Court to demand that the vote be held as planned. We will prepare for new elections and you will decide the future of Pakistan.”In recent weeks, as he was fighting for his political life, Khan has repeatedly alleged that the U.S administration was behind a plot to remove him from power, citing a private diplomatic cable that suggested Washington would be happier with new leaders in Pakistan. But the cable has not been made public, and a spokesman for the State Department has said there is “no truth” to the accusations.The controversy has plunged Pakistan’s troubled democratic system into chaos, pitting its civilian institutions against each other and turning the legislative process into a brawl. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia's war in Ukraine.Khan orchestrated an abrupt suspension of the expected no-confidence vote by the legislature’s acting speaker, a member of his party, then immediately announced on live TV that new elections would be held.

Imran Khan recommends Pakistan's president to dissolve assemblies in a shocking development as it was widely expected he would either be ousted from power ...

The opposition has declared the rejection of the vote illegal and said it would stage a sit-in in front of the parliament in protest. An outraged opposition looked on as the assembly session that would have decided Mr Khan’s fate was quickly wrapped up within minutes. A key ally of Mr Khan as well as several members of him Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party had deserted him and aligned themselves with the opposition days earlier and would have turned the tide against him if the vote had gone through.

The cricket star, who famously once urged his team to victory by telling them to "fight like cornered tigers", claims a "conspiracy" has failed, ...

A prominent newspaper had recently said Mr Khan was "as good as gone", but he had urged his supporters to take to the streets ahead of the planned vote. It comes after Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry accused the opposition of colluding with a "foreign power" to stage a "regime change", Mr Khan had requested the move as he claimed a "conspiracy" to overthrow his government had failed.

We'll send you a myFT Daily Digest email rounding up the latest Pakistan news every morning. Prime minister Imran Khan has dissolved Pakistan's parliament and ...

Mr Khan threw the country into limbo on Sunday, accusing the United States of attempting to oust him and cancelling a no-confidence vote he was poised to ...

Mr Khan has accused the opposition of being in cahoots with the United States to unseat him, saying America wants him gone over his foreign policy choices that often favour China and Russia. Mr Khan has also been a strident opponent of America’s war on terror and Pakistan’s partnership in that war with Washington. Mr Khan, who was not in Parliament on Sunday, went on national television to announce he was submitting the dissolution request, which President Arif Alvi later executed. Then, his win was mired in controversy and widespread accusations that the army helped his Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (Justice) Party to victory. Thank God, a conspiracy to topple the government has failed,” Prime Minister Khan said in his address. The dramatic episode was the latest in an escalating dispute between Mr Khan and parliament, after defectors within his own party and a minor coalition partner joined the opposition and attempted to oust him from power. The opposition, which accuses Mr Khan of mismanaging the economy, arrived in Parliament ready to vote the prime minister out of power, and say they have the simple majority of 172 votes in the 342-seat assembly to do so.

The nation's politics was thrust into disarray after Prime Minister Imran Khan dissolved parliament ahead of a vote on a no-confidence motion in which he ...

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Prime minister cuts an increasingly isolated figure – and his dramatic dissolution of parliament is a very risky move. Pakistani lawmakers of the united ...

It has further united and galvanised the opposition coalition, while alienating more members of his own increasingly fragile ruling coalition. While Pakistan’s judiciary has long been seen as pro-establishment and their independence repeatedly called into question, the mood in Islamabad appears to have shifted notably against Khan and many believe the court will rule against him. While it is unclear what Khan’s approach will be if the no-confidence vote goes ahead, many fear it will lead to mass arrests of opposition politicians to try to bring the numbers back into Khan’s favour.

So much for Prime Minister Imran Khan's “New Pakistan.” Faced with growing discontent among his own lawmakers and allies, Khan told the president to ...

Khan may have dodged the vote of no confidence for now, but a Gallup Pakistan poll taken in February showed his approval rating had fallen to 36% from 40% in 2018, while Nawaz Sharif’s had more than doubled to 55%. As many as two dozen of his own lawmakers have turned against him, as has the army. Khan’s promises to overhaul corrupt institutions, fund affordable housing and create an Islamic welfare state are now all but abandoned.His government has also been grappling with a deteriorating security situation since the Taliban returned to power in neighboring Afghanistan last August. That’s provoked a resurgence of militancy in Pakistan — including the bombing of a Shiite mosque in Peshawar last month claimed by the local chapter of Islamic State that killed as many as 60 people and wounded almost 200.Pakistan’s constitution calls for the establishment of an interim government to take the country to the elections, which must be held within 90 days. Bajwa’s statements also appeared to be an attempt to reposition Pakistan back toward the U.S. — again, in obvious opposition to Khan. Pakistan seeks to broaden and expand relations with both China and the U.S., Bajwa said, without “impacting our relations with either.” A former cricket great, Khan has gone from being seen as too close to the military, which has ruled Pakistan for nearly half its 75-year history, to now falling out with the organization widely viewed as the real power in the South Asian nation. It’s a well trodden path in Pakistan, where high treason — and the death penalty that comes with it — has been used against former military leader and president Pervez Musharraf (he lives in Dubai and has managed to escape the verdict handed down in 2019 that sentenced him to death.)Indeed, no Pakistani leader has served a full term in office, due to assassinations, martial law, votes of no confidence and arbitrary dismissals. Last week he blamed a “foreign funded conspiracy” for trying to remove him from power, tapping into a deep well of anti-U.S. sentiment that emerged in response to American foreign policy post-9/11. U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said there was “no truth” to the allegations.Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Justice) party has 155 seats. It’s likely he still will.One of the most telling moments in the weeks of turmoil that lead up to the canceled vote happened Saturday, when the country’s powerful military chief openly criticized Russia for its war in Ukraine. General Qamar Javed Bajwa said Moscow’s actions had resulted in a “great tragedy” that had killed thousands and made millions refugees, in a significant departure from Khan’s more neutral tone. Drawing outrage from the opposition, which says it has the numbers to force him from office and take power, his move is now expected to be tested in Supreme Court. Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif warned that Khan would be charged with treason for violating the constitution. There is significant pressure on both its foreign reserves and its currency (although not as severe as Sri Lanka’s, it’s enough to force its default risk to soar). Inflation, meanwhile, is running above 12% — way beyond the central bank’s target range of 5%-7%. Khan put a $6 billion International Monetary Fund bailout in jeopardy last month when he cut fuel and electricity prices after previously agreeing to increase taxes as part of the IMF program. The joint opposition of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan People’s Party run by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of assassinated former leader Benazir Bhutto, has more than 160 seats. Energy Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past eventsImran Khan Has Outsmarted Pakistan’s Opposition. For NowSo much for Prime Minister Imran Khan’s “New Pakistan.” Faced with growing discontent among his own lawmakers and allies, Khan told the president to dissolve parliament and called for fresh elections after a hotly anticipated no confidence vote against him was abruptly canceled Sunday.“Prepare for elections,” Khan said in a televised speech to the nation. “No corrupt forces will decide what the future of the country will be,” he said, repeating the allegation that the U. S. is working with his rivals to overthrow the government. Had the trust vote gone ahead, he would have taken his place in that long list of failed prime ministers and presidents.

The political drama has moved now to the Supreme Court, which must rule on the legality of Khan's decision.

Washington has often berated Pakistan for doing too little to fight Islamic militants, even as thousands of Pakistanis have died at their hands and the army has lost more than 5,000 soldiers. Pakistan’s main opposition parties — a mosaic of ideologies from leftists to the radically religious — have been rallying for Khan’s ouster almost since he was elected in 2018. As a result, he’s burned too many bridges at a moment when he badly needs all the help he can get.” As a result, several of Pakistan’s key industries, such as construction, have survived. His government has also received international praise for its handling of the COVID-19 crisis and implementing so-called “smart lockdowns” rather than countrywide shutdowns. The opposition also blames Khan for high inflation that’s hitting households. Giant metal containers blocked roads and entrances to the capital’s diplomatic enclave, as well as Parliament and other sensitive government installations. The former cricket star turned conservative Islamic leader sought to justify the measures by accusing the United States of trying to overthrow his government. It was unclear on Sunday where the powerful military — which has directly ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 75-year history — stood in the fray. According to Pakistan’s constitution, an interim government inclusive of the opposition will now see the country toward elections held within 90 days. “I ask people to prepare for the next elections. In Pakistan, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan has just begun.

Khan will hold onto his position till a new caretaker prime minister is selected.

SC [supreme court] must rise to the challenge & prove our constitution is more than a piece of paper. “We cannot under any circumstances compromise on the constitution. Defending his stance, the former international cricketer who vowed to “play till the last ball”, said he did not act unconstitutionally and alleged that the opposition's move to oust him was a plot by a foreign country.

Former cricket star Khan lost his majority in parliament last week as his opponents built their support, and he was facing a no-confidence motion tabled by ...

Pakistan's top court will meet on Monday to decide whether lawmakers can hold a no-confidence vote over Prime Minister Imran Khan. On Sunday, his allies ...

But the vote Sunday was blocked by Mr. Khan’s allies in the assembly, who said he planned to dissolve the body, a move he later confirmed in a televised speech. His popularity has taken a hit in recent months as inflation has surged. Lawmakers began convening last week, and allies to his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party announced they were dropping support.