Pakistan’s opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif, center, speaks as leaders of other opposition parties watch during a news conference following the Supreme Court’s decision, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 7. 2022.
Anjum Naveed / AP
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Pakistan’s opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif, center, speaks as leaders of other opposition parties watch during a news conference following the Supreme Court’s decision, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 7. 2022.
Anjum Naveed / AP
ISLAMABAD – Pakistani lawmakers will choose a new prime minister on Monday, capped off by a tumultuous week of political drama that has seen the ousting of Imran Khan as prime minister and a constitutional crisis that has emerged blocked almost after the country’s top court stepped in.
The leading candidate is Shahbaz Sharif, an opposition lawmaker and brother of disgraced former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. But his election will not guarantee a clear path forward – or resolve many of Pakistan’s economic problems, including high inflation and a heightened energy crisis.
Khan, a former cricket star whose conservative and staunchly independent Muslim ideology has characterized his three years and eight months in office, was ousted early Sunday after losing a vote of no confidence in Parliament. Highly regarded by his party allies and key coalition partners, his opposition pushed Khan out with 174 votes – two more than the simple majority demanded in the 342-seat Parliament.
The opposition chose Shahbaz Sharif as their candidate for prime minister, claiming they had enough votes in favor of him.
Hundreds of thousands of rallies for Khan
Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or Justice Party of Pakistan, has nominated former foreign minister and seasoned politician Shah Mahmood Qureshi as his candidate. But the Qureshi on Sunday rattled the waters by saying that many lawmakers in Khan’s party were contemplating resigning from Parliament following Monday’s prime ministerial vote.
In a show of strength and foreshadowing the political turmoil ahead, Khan rallied hundreds of thousands of supporters late on Sunday to protest against his ouster and described the next government as one government imposed”. In cities across Pakistan, Khan’s supporters marched, waving large party flags and swearing in support. The youth, who made up the mainstay of Khan’s supporters, dominated the crowd.
Some cried, others shouted slogans promising Khan’s return.
Supporters of ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party take part in a rally to condemn the overthrow of their leader’s government, in Karachi, Pakistan, on Sunday, April 10, 2022 .
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Supporters of ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party take part in a rally to condemn the overthrow of their leader’s government, in Karachi, Pakistan, on Sunday, April 10, 2022 .
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Khan has also asked for early elections, although voting does not take place before August 2023. He has hit anti-American sentiment in Pakistan, accusing Washington of conspiring with opponents to overthrow him. His conspiracy theories resonate with his youth base, which often views Washington’s post-9/11 war on terror as unfairly targeting Pakistan.
The political drama of Pakistan began on 3 April when Khan bypassed an initial vote of no confidence demanded by the opposition by dissolving Parliament and calling for early elections. The opposition, accusing Khan of economic mismanagement, appealed to the Supreme Court. After four days of deliberation, the court ordered the National Assembly to rebuild and a vote of no confidence was conducted. Following a lengthy Parliament session that began on Saturday and that also saw the resignation of the speaker of parliament, Asad Qaiser. Khan was ousted early on Sunday.
Khan claims the opposition colluded with Washington to oust him, allegedly because his independent foreign policy favors China and Russia. He was also criticized for his February 24 visit to Moscow, where he held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine.
The US State Department has denied any involvement in Pakistan’s internal politics.
The way forward for opposition parties remains unclear
The road ahead will be fraught with thorns for the opposition coalition, which includes parties that cross political divisions, from the left to the radically religious. The two largest parties are the Pakistan Muslim League led by Sharif and the Pakistan People’s Party co-chaired by the son and husband of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
In Pakistan, several wealthy and powerful families have dominated politics for decades, with power often alternating between Sharifs and Bhutto camps. Both political houses have been accused and sometimes found guilty of rampant corruption – and both have denied the charges.
Nawaz Sharif was asked to remain anonymous by the Supreme Court in 2015 after being found guilty in connection with financial irregularities revealed in the so-called Panama Papers – a collection of secret financial documents leaked by the Supreme Court. The leak shows how some of the richest people in the world hide their money and involves a global law firm. based in Panama. He was removed from office by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of Bhutto, who served as president of Pakistan after the 2008 elections, spent more than seven years in prison, convicted of corruption.
Both families have denied the corruption allegations against them were politically motivated.
Khan came to power in 2018, promising to break family rule in Pakistan but his opponents claim he won the election with help from the powerful army, having ruled Pakistan for half of the country’s 75-year history.
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted in 1999 in a military coup and Benazir Bhutto’s government was toppled several times after the military sided with her objections. In Pakistani politics, where loyalists often flow, Bhutto’s fiercest opposition came from Sharif’s party.
Shahbaz Sharif has served three times as governor of Pakistan’s largest, most influential province of Punjab, home to 60% of the country’s 220 million population. His son Hamza was elected the new prime minister by the Punjab provincial parliament last week, eliminating Khan’s candidacy. Khan’s party is challenging that election and the younger Sharif has yet to be sworn in.
