Imran Khan is no longer the prime minister after being ousted from power upon losing a no-confidence motion. The vote was held past midnight after opposition parties brought a motion against him after days of political drama which left the nation on tenterhooks.
The vote was finally held in the wee hours of Sunday after the Supreme Court ruled in favour of opposition parties, saying that Imran Khan acted unconstitutionally in preventing voting. It was perhaps the longest day for opposition leaders who appeared weary after the Speaker delayed voting and adjourned the session. With hours left before the court ordained time lapsed, the Speaker stepped aside and the opposition took control to oust the prime minister.
By doing so, Imran Khan has become the first Pakistani prime minister to be ousted by a no-confidence motion with the opposition parties securing 174 votes. He joins a long list of prime ministers who have been unceremoniously ousted from power. It is also the first time the ruling party has been forced to sit in the opposition during its own tenure.
It must be acknowledged that Imran Khan did not leave without giving a fight till the end and refused to step down. His supporters are expected to take to streets against what he has termed an imported government, claiming that there was a conspiracy to remove him from power. He has also expressed disappointment that his allegations were not taken seriously by the top court.
The events which led to his departure can be debated but it was highly unusual to see the court reopen at midnight and rumours rife about a falling out with the military. All these rumours were set aside when he left the PM House just moments before being voted out. If Imran Khan chooses to be an active opposition leader, he could be even more fearsome, knowing well the weaknesses of the new rulers who have an array of corruption cases against them.
It may be displeasing to note that Shehbaz Sharif could be elected PM on the day he was supposed to be indicted in a money laundering case. The politicians are rejoicing at ousting Imran’s government and welcoming the ‘Purana Pakistan’ which remains a squalid place and will not resolve the myriad economic or other crises inflicted on the nation.
