Pakistan’s prime minister Imran Khan ousted in a no-confidence vote in parliament

The combined opposition will form the new government, with the head of one of the largest parties, the Pakistani Muslim League, taking over as prime minister

Anticipating his loss, Khan, who charged his opposition colluded with the US to unseat him, has called on his supporters to stage rallies nationwide on Sunday

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Pakistan’s ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan. Photo: Iranian Presidency /DPA

Published: 4:43am, 10 Apr 2022Updated: 7:59am, 10 Apr 2022

Pakistan’s political opposition ousted the country’s embattled prime minister in a no-confidence vote on Saturday, which they won after several of Imran Khan’s allies and a key coalition party deserted him.

The combined opposition that spans the political spectrum from the left to the radically religious will form the new government, with the head of one of the largest parties, the Pakistani Muslim League, taking over as prime minister.

Anticipating his loss, Khan, who charged his opposition colluded with the United States to unseat him, has called on his supporters to stage rallies nationwide on Sunday. Khan’s options are limited and should he see a big turnout in his support, he may try to keep the momentum of street protests as a way to pressure parliament to hold early elections.

Female police officers detain a supporter of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party outside the parliament house building in Islamabad, Pakistan on April 9. Photo: AFP

Khan earlier had tried to sidestep the vote by dissolving parliament and calling early elections but a Supreme Court ruling ordered the vote to go ahead.

The Pakistani parliament’s lower house will meet on Monday to vote for a new prime minister, the acting speaker said.

Ayaz Sadiq, presiding over the assembly session in the absence of the ruling party members and its designated speakers, said nomination papers for candidates should be filed by 11am local time on Sunday.

In an impassioned speech on Friday, Khan doubled down on his accusations that his opponents colluded with the United States to unseat him over his foreign policy choices, which often seemed to favour China and Russia and defied the US.

Khan said Washington opposed his February 24 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin hours after tanks rolled into Ukraine, launching a devastating war in the heart of Europe.