The National Assembly delayed a crucial no-confidence motion hearing against Prime Minister Imran Khan, giving the ruling party ample time to muster support and regain control after a spate of defections from the party.
The motion will be tabled today after which seven days of debate should take place before an actual vote. Ahead of the no-trust motion, the embattled prime minister delivered verbal salvos against his political adversaries, who claim they have enough votes to oust the government.
Over a dozen lawmakers showed reluctance in voting and sided at the opposition. Several of them have now expressed support and termed the allegations as baseless. The allied parties also seem put and could chose to remain part of the fragile coalition. This gives a valuable lifeline to the prime minister that his political legacy will remain intact even if he keeps his job or is shown the door.
Sensing that he may lose the no-confidence motion, the prime minister seems to have started preparing for the next elections, holding massive rallies to garner public support. He has enchanted a generation of Pakistanis and transformed himself into a political celebrity. He came to power on a platform of anti-corruption, accountability and political reforms but has faced hurdles in implementation.
The prime minister has openly denounced the opposition as a “gang of thieves” in vitriolic public addresses and has vowed to defeat the no-confidence motion. What exactly is the trump card he is hiding under his sleeve will only be known whether the no-trust motion is actually voted on.
PM Imran Khan has distanced Pakistan from the United States. At the OIC session, he decried Western attempts to vilify Islam and the inability of Muslim nations to combat its image. Pakistan has refrained from denouncing Russian invasion in Ukraine and has strengthened ties with China. This rhetoric serves an example for the PTI to claim that foreign forces have a covert hand in ousting the government.
The prime minister’s tenure is in jeopardy not due to his governance but perhaps due to discord with state institutions that disenchanted with his leadership. Domestic issues, uncontrollable inflation and lack of measures have dented hopes. PM Imran Khan has lofty ambitions and panders to domestic crowds which can help catapult him back to power even if he is unceremoniously pushed out.
