On April 3, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan dissolvedlinkhiscountry’s parliament to stop an opposition-led effort to remove him fromoffice.
Some two dozen lawmakers had recently left the government of Khan’s rulingPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. That set the stage for oppositionmembers of Pakistan’s 342-member National Assembly (lower house ofparliament) to hold a no-confidence vote on March 8.
Khan was expected to lose that vote.[image: Pakistani lawmakers of the united opposition walk towards theparliament house building to cast their vote on a motion of no-confidenceto oust Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Islamabad, on April 3, 2022. (AkhtarSoomro/Reuters)]Pakistani lawmakers of the united opposition walk towards the parliamenthouse building to cast their vote on a motion of no-confidence to oustPrime Minister Imran Khan, in Islamabad, on April 3, 2022. (AkhtarSoomro/Reuters)
On April 7, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ruledlinkKhan’smove to block his removal was unconstitutional and said the NationalAssembly must be restored.
The vote of no confidence against Khan is expected to go forward on April 9.
Khan and other political allies had earlier claimedlinkthatthe effort to oust him was “blatant interference in domestic politics bythe United States.”
And Russia has backed that narrative, with Khan and others claiming the bidto oust him stems from Pakistan’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion ofUkraine.
“The further development of the situation leaves no doubt that the UnitedStates decided to punish the ‘disobedient’ Imran Khan,” Russian ForeignMinistry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on April 4, citing the PTImembers’ “sudden” decision to join the opposition.
“This is another attempt at shameless interference by the U.S. in theinternal affairs of an independent state for its own selfish purposes. Theabove facts eloquently testify to this. The Prime Minister of the IslamicRepublic of Pakistan himself has repeatedly stated that the conspiracyagainst him is inspired and financed from abroad.”
In fact, Khan hasn’t orovided any serious evidence that the U.S. is out toget him, and the U.S. State Department says it’s untrue.
Khan had earlierlinkclaimedthat the Western-backed “foreign conspiracy” was sparked by his decision tovisit Russia as Moscow launched its war of aggression against Ukraine onFebruary 24. Pakistan also was one of 38 countries to abstain from a UnitedNations vote condemning Russia’s invasion of its neighbor.
Khan claimed to have an “official document” proving the conspiracy totopple him.
Khan pulled a paper out of his pocket at a large public rally on March 27.He had earlier described the document as “the formal communication of asenior official of a foreign country to Pakistan’s ambassador in the saidcountry in a formal meeting,” Reuters reported. According to the news agencylink,Khan referenced the United States before correcting himself and saying “aforeign country.”
“I am telling my nation today that this is our status. We are a nation of220 million and another country — and they are not giving any reason — [isissuing threats]. They said that Imran Khan decided to go to Russia on hisown even though the Foreign Office and the military leadership wasconsulted,” India’s The Tribune newspaper quoted himlinkassaying.
“Our ambassador told them that the decision [to visit Russia was made afterconsultations] but they are denying it and saying that ‘it was only becauseof Imran Khan and that our ties cannot be good if he stays.’ What they areactually saying is that they have no issue with the people who will replaceImran Khan.”
Khan claimed the communique stated that Pakistan would be “forgiven” if theno-confidence vote against him passed and threatened “consequences” if itdidn’t.
A reporter from the Voice of America’s Urdu service askedlink U.S.State Department spokesman Ned Price about the purported letter on March 31.
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Price said the United States supports “Pakistan’s constitutional processand the rule of law,” adding “there is no truth” to Khan’s allegations.
Unconfirmed news reports in Indialink and Pakistan link, citing official anddiplomatic sources, said the letter was actually a diplomatic cable about ameeting between Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States and U.S.officials. That cable was reportedly sent on March 7 — one day prior to theno-confidence motion being submitted.
Writing for the Council on Foreign Relations, Pakistani author andjournalist Zahid Hussain saidlink“thereis little evidence” to back claims that foreign powers orchestrated theno-confidence motion.
“More likely, the government purposely exaggerated an informal conversationbetween a former Pakistani ambassador in Washington and an Americandiplomat to build a narrative that paints the opposition’s democratic moveas a foreign conspiracy,” he wrote.
Denials by State Department or anonymous officials do not disprove aconspiracy. Still, Khan has not provided any other evidence to support hisallegations.[image: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan (3L) and President Arif Alvi(3R) watch fighter jets perform during the Pakistan Day parade in Islamabadon March 23, 2022. (Ghulam Rasool / AFP)]Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan (3L) and President Arif Alvi (3R)watch fighter jets perform during the Pakistan Day parade in Islamabad onMarch 23, 2022. (Ghulam Rasool / AFP)
On March 30, members of Khan’s government said they would present thealleged incriminating document to the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
“If someone has doubts, the prime minister says if necessary, and for thepeople’s satisfaction, he is ready to present the letter to the chiefjustice of the Supreme Court, as he enjoys a good reputation,” Minister forPlanning and Development Asad Umar saidlink.
Shehbaz Sharif, the opposition leader and president of the Pakistan MuslimLeague-Nawaz (PML-N) political party, who was alleged to be part of theconspiracy, called on the governmentlinktodo just that.
Sharif asked the head of Pakistan’s army and Inter-Services Intelligenceagency (ISI) to present any evidence that opposition parties committedtreason and sought foreign help to topple the government, Pakistan’s TheNews International reported.
If it exists, the evidence should be presented to the country and theSupreme Court, he said. “We will make this demand through our lawyers andrequest it to review the matter and create a forum which clarifies it,”Sharif said.
Khan’s political misfortunes have been tied tolinksky-high inflation — the worst in South Asia — and strained relations withthe military, which has long played an outsized role in the country’spolitical life.
Since Pakistan gained independence in 1947, no Pakistani prime minister hascompletedlinkafull five-year term. The military has stagedlink a number ofsuccessful coups, and the country has spent decades under military rule.
Food and fuel shortages and rampant inflation have also plunged anotherSouth Asian country, Sri Lanka,linkintocrisis, prompting social unrest.
As in Pakistan, some Sri Lankan netizens, without evidence, are claimingthe United States is orchestrating regime change in Sri Lanka because itabstained from the U.N. vote to condemn Russia’s invasion.
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