Imran Khan has 24 hours to quit; Pakistan opposition ready to topple him
The Opposition has given Prime Minister Imran Khan an ultimatum of 24 hours to resign over his inability to control the rising inflation in the country.
FollowPakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is in a spot of bother. Despite ruling with the blessings of the Pakistani military establishment, the country's Opposition parties led by Pakistan People’s Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari have once again set a deadline for Imran to resign.
The Opposition has given Prime Minister Imran Khan an ultimatum of 24 hours to resign over his inability to control the rising inflation in the country.
Around 100 lawmakers from the Pakistan Muslims League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) signed the motion document and submitted it to the National Assembly Secretariat.
Why does Opposition want Imran Khan to go?
Bhutto-Zardari considers Imran Khan as a 'selected' prime minister because of the Pakistani Army's support for him. He has alleged that the Imran Khan government, in connivance with the International Monetary Fund, is ruining the country's economy.
Imran Khan has also been charged with mismanaging Pakistan's foreign policy that has brought a bad name to Islamabad at international forums. The demand for his resignation was raised earlier as well, but he somehow managed to survive.
Pakistan has been grappling with a price rise for a long time. In an effort to pacify their anger, the Imran Khan government had cut the domestic energy price last week.
IMF bailout of Pakistan
Last month, the IMF had given its approval for a billion-dollar loan to Islamabad, reviving a bailout package that had been stalled after it failed to comply with the terms and conditions.
The release of funds was a part of a $6 billion package secured by the Imran Khan government in May 2019 after difficult negotiations.
The last tranche of $500 million was released in March 2021.
Pakistan National Assembly
In the 342-member Pakistan National Assembly, the opposition needs to have the support of 172 lawmakers to oust Khan from power. Currently, the combined opposition has 162 members.
The Opposition claims to have the support of 24 disgruntled lawmakers of Imran Khan's party.
However, Khan has maintained that his majority is intact.
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