Imran Khan
Imran Khan bowled out by Opposition, removed as Pak PM
Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan lost in the no-confidence vote as 174 members voted against him in the 342-member National Assembly. With this, he became the country's first PM to be removed through the no-confidence vote.
According to media reports, Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) was voted out of power by the Opposition, a rainbow of socialist, liberal, and radically religious parties. A total of 174 members voted in support of the no-trust vote whereas only 172 votes were needed to oust the government.
Imran Khan, 69, was not present in the lower house at the time of voting, acting against his own statement that he will "play till the last ball". His party legislators staged a walkout.
Earlier, Pakistan's Geo News reported that a request has been put in Islamabad High Court to put Imran Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and Fawad Chaudhary be put on exit control lists.
After Imran Khan's government lost its majority in the National Assembly, Pakistan's Attorney General resigned.
A cricketer-turned-politician, Imran Khan came to power in 2018 as a popular leader who promised to create a "Naya Pakistan".
Not a single Prime Minister in Pakistan has completed a full five-year term since the country's independence in 1947.
Today's session was called after Pakistan's Supreme Court had said that the deputy speaker's decision to dissolve the national assembly was illegal as he violated the constitution by refusing to allow a no-confidence vote against Khan.
The Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) effectively lost its majority in the 342-member assembly after one of his allies said that it would vote against him in a no-confidence vote.
Even as the country's parliament started debating on the no-trust vote, Imran Khan had called a meeting of his Cabinet at 8 pm apparently to explore potential means to block the voting.
Though publicly the military appears to be keeping out of the current fray, some media reports said that Pakistan Army had increased its presence in the capital to ensure that the no-trust vote takes place.
Some local media reports said that Khan could leave the country to escape from being tried in court as there is the possibility that the next government would press charges against him on accounts of corruption, mismanagement and poor governance.
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