Pakistan in political turmoil as PM Imran Khan dissolves parliament

Pakistan’s prime minister threw the country into political limbo on Sunday, accusing the United States of attempting to oust him and cancelling a no-confidence vote he was poised to lose. He then ordered the National Assembly dissolved so new elections can be held. The moves by Imran Khan appeared to trigger a constitutional crisis: Pakistan’s Supreme Court must rule on their legality, but it adjourned until Monday and gave no indication when the matter would be settled. In Pakistan, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan has just begun. 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. 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.

The former cricket star turned conservative Islamic leader sought to justify the measures by accusing the United States of trying to overthrow his government. His information minister Fawad Chaudhry accused the opposition of collusion with a foreign power when he successfully filed the motion to the deputy speaker of parliament to throw out the vote. 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. 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.

For expert analysis and insight on the biggest stories, listen to our podcast, What You Need To Know

“I ask people to prepare for the next elections. Thank God, a conspiracy to topple the government has failed,” Prime Minister Khan said in his address. According to Pakistan’s constitution, an interim government, inclusive of the opposition, will now see the country toward elections held within 90 days.

In the capital Islamabad, security forces braced for the worst, locking down much of the city as a defiant Mr Khan called for supporters to stage demonstrations countrywide. Giant metal containers blocked roads and entrances to the capital’s diplomatic enclave, as well as Parliament and other sensitive government installations. 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.

Khan has circulated a memo which he insists provides proof that Washington conspired with Pakistan’s opposition to unseat him because America wants “me, personally, gone ... and everything would be forgiven.” He offered no concrete evidence of US interference. 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. Then, his win was mired in controversy and widespread accusations that the army helped his Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (Justice) Party to victory. Pakistan’s military has a history of overthrowing successive democratically elected governments and indirectly manipulating others from the sidelines. The opposition also blames Mr Khan for high inflation that’s hitting households. But his government is also credited with maintaining a foreign reserve account of $18 billion, bringing in a record $29 billion last year from overseas Pakistanis. Khan’s anti-corruption reputation is credited with encouraging expatriate Pakistanis to send money home. 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. As a result, several of Pakistan’s key industries, such as construction, have survived.