Prime Minister Imran Khan is a facing vote of no-confidence and is struggling to keep his government in power. The opposition believes they have the right numbers to oust the government. At the moment, it seems the odds are stacked against him but anything is expected in Pakistani politics.
The National Assembly has called a session on Friday to hear the no-trust motion. It could take several days before an actual vote to decide if PM Imran Khan will be removed. The prime minister has vowed to not resign at any cost and defeat the opposition’s plan. He has also hinted to a huge surprise but what exactly will the premier’s trump card be needs to be known.
The no-confidence motion has less to do with his misgovernance but rather a perceived rift between the prime minister and state institutions. The opposition has been campaigning against the prime minister ever since he took power. They have been piling pressure and have organized rallies to force the prime minister to quit but remain wary of any unconstitutional move.
The biggest challenge the prime minister faces if the threat of defection from deviant party members and disgruntled allies joining the opposition. The premier has approached the court to prevent lawmakers from voting against party policy and wants a lifetime disqualification. It is likely that the court will rule against intervening in parliament proceedings but process could take time.
Meanwhile, the prime minister is drumming up support ahead of the no-trust move. The ruling PTI has vowed to hold a ‘million march’ rally in Islamabad over the weekend. The bid for no-confidence move has raised the risk of constitutional, administrative and economic crises. The IMF was scheduled to review the bailout package this week but it has not happened yet.
Regardless of how the no-confidence motion goes down, it seems the country could be heading toward elections. The next general elections are due by late 2023 and no prime minister has ever completed a full five-year term in office. It needs to be needs of the prime minister will survive this political crises and come unscathed.
