Imran Khan was elected Pakistan’s prime minister early Sunday, ending weeks of political uncertainty that fueled the devaluation of the rupee, dragged the country’s stock market down and forced the central bank to raise interest rates.
Following a tense session of the lower house of parliament that began on Saturday morning, a coalition of opposition parties in Pakistan received the support of 174 members in the 342-seat chamber to vote a no-confidence vote against Khan.
“We will bring stability to Pakistan. There will be no revenge against anyone, “said Shehbaz Sharif, the opposition leader after the vote.
Sharif, the heir to a leading industrial family and the brother of former three-term prime minister Nawaz Sharif, has been chosen as the opposition’s candidate to become the next prime minister in a vote expected to appoint him as Pakistan’s new leader on Sunday.
Khan, a popular international cricket star, became prime minister in 2018 amid promises to reform Pakistan. While in office, he transformed his image as a playboy from the 1970s and 1980s and became a fan of conservative Islam, welcoming the Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan last year.
But his removal from power more than a year ahead of next summer’s elections comes at a time of growing economic challenges for the country. The nuclear nation is in the midst of a $ 6 billion IMF loan program that includes unpopular measures, including rising utility prices.
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Meanwhile, rapidly rising inflation, caused in part by the effects of escalating commodity prices, has sparked warnings of unrest.
“Hubris, irregular governance, poor economic governance and intolerance of the opposition were among the key factors responsible for its downfall,” said Maliha Lodhi, a former ambassador to the United States and the United Nations who is now a political commentator.
Prior to Khan’s departure, there were reports that Pakistan’s powerful army had withdrawn its support for the prime minister. The opposition said after his election in 2018 that the military had played a crucial role in securing his victory, including by influencing leading politicians to support him. Senior army officers rejected the allegations.
Pakistan has been ruled by the military for just under half of its 75-year existence since gaining independence from British rule.
“The transition is full of challenges, especially in managing a debt-ridden and inflation-stricken economy,” Lodi said.
“The road ahead is characterized by uncertainty. But the good news is that the constitution has won and democracy has strengthened. “
Business leaders have warned that the new government will face difficult challenges such as popular anger over rising fuel and electricity prices.
Last month, under growing pressure from his political opponents, Khan announced a subsidy on fuel and electricity tariffs in a bid to win people’s support. A senior finance ministry official in Islamabad told the FT that the IMF had raised objections to the subsidies.
“This is not a good time for a new leadership to take responsibility for Pakistan,” said the head of a leading company in Karachi, Pakistan’s southern port city.
Separately, a senior opposition leader told the FT that Sharif could call parliamentary elections before the end of this year, “to avoid elections [in 2023] when economic trends could make his government less popular. “
In recent weeks, Khan has repeatedly claimed to have been the victim of a US conspiracy to remove him after his trip to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the day Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. U.S. officials have denied the allegations.
Politicians close to Khan said he plans to raise the issue of rallies in the coming days to gather support.
“Imran Khan wants the Pakistanis to remember him for standing up to America, even at the cost of losing power,” one said.
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