No-confidence motion tabled to oust Pakistan PM Imran Khan; debate on March 31
The Pakistan Democratic Movement, an alliance of opposition MPs, has been attempting to entice Khan's coalition partners, some of whom were ready to quit him. The proposal will be debated in the House on Thursday, and a vote will be made within seven days.
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FollowOpposition lawmakers in Pakistan submitted a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan in parliament on Monday, trying to depose Khan's administration over allegations that he mishandled the country's economy.
The Pakistan Democratic Movement, an alliance of opposition MPs, has been attempting to entice Khan's coalition partners, some of whom were ready to quit him. The proposal will be debated in the House on Thursday, and a vote will be made within seven days.
"The prime minister loses his office when he loses the trust of this house," opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif said, reading from the no-confidence resolution, which was broadcast live on television. The decision comes as Pakistan confronts a repeating economic crisis, with Khan's administration relying on the IMF to provide the next tranche of a $6 billion bailout package to shore up the country's declining foreign currency reserves.
Khan, 69, a former captain of Pakistan's national cricket team, has lost a legislative majority due to defections from his party, and a unified opposition has called on him to resign. He has resolved to fight to remain where he is.
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He has blamed the attempted overthrow of his administration on a foreign-funded plot. China has long been a backer, while Pakistan, a major Western friend, refrained from voting as the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly condemned Russia for invading Ukraine. Under an anti-defection statute, the administration has asked the court to intervene and prevent the defectors from voting against the party.
According to the opposition and observers, Khan has a falling out with the powerful military, which mostly selects who rules, an allegation both Khan and the military reject. The news comes a day after Khan promised at a rally that he would defeat the no-confidence motion with the aid of legislators from his own Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party and political allies.
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