Khan, the former international cricketer who became a devout Islamist politician, remains attached to his political career for a lifetime after he and his Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in Pakistan used various means – including friends. and legal petitions – to prevent a vote of no confidence, which he was expected to lose, from proceeding. Khan had tried to interrupt the vote a week ago by dissolving parliament before it could take place. But a verdict from Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday found the prime minister had broken the law and called for a vote. But during the 13 turbulent hours until late at night, members of Hahn’s party blocked the vote. The opposition accused Khan of trying to hold the constitution and the government hostage and of committing treason. At one point, the speaker, an ally of Khan, said he would refuse to put the vote to parliament, despite his contempt for the court. The opposition claimed that Khan refused to leave the ballot unless he could guarantee that neither he nor his ministers would face criminal charges once he resigned. Marriyam Aurangzeb, a spokesman for the opposition, told the Observer that “it was a violation of the constitution and the mandate of the Supreme Court and they should be prepared for the consequences. It is contempt of court by Imran Khan and the speaker and all those involved. “ As Khan met with ministers and senior military officials yesterday, many feared he would try to get the powerful Pakistani army to intervene and declare martial law instead of handing over power to the opposition. As fears of unrest grew, security was tightened around the prime minister’s residence. In response, Pakistan’s supreme judge took the unprecedented step of asking the Supreme Court to be ready to open its doors at midnight if the vote does not take place. Islamabad Supreme Court also prepared to hear a contempt for the case late at night. As the midnight deadline approached, Khwaja Asif, the leader of the opposition coalition, accused the Khan government of trying to usurp democracy and “create an environment for martial law.” “They want the dissolution of parliament.” Last week’s no-confidence vote was tabled by the opposition amid an economic crisis that has hit Khan’s popularity. Khan shocked the opposition by ordering the deputy speaker of parliament, a close ally, to reject the vote on the basis of unfounded allegations that it was the result of a “foreign conspiracy” to oust him. Security guards guard outside the parliament building in Islamabad on Saturday. Photo: Aamir Qureshi / AFP / Getty Images Khan then instructed the president, another ally, to dissolve parliament, and announced that new elections would be held within three months. He defended the move as an attempt to protect Pakistan from a conspiracy by the West and specifically the US to interfere in its affairs. The opposition described it as a “political coup” and a treacherous attempt by Han to seize power despite losing his majority. They appealed to the Supreme Court, which eventually overturned Khan’s move. The no-confidence vote was expected to pave the way for a new opposition coalition government, with opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif, the brother of jailed former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, as caretaker prime minister. The opposition has stated its intention to hold elections, most likely in October at the earliest. Although many suggested he could resign instead of facing the humiliation of a defeat in parliament, in a late-night speech to the nation, Khan made it clear that he had no intention of resigning voluntarily. He called on his supporters to take to the streets in mass protest and said he would not accept any “imported” government, a covert reference to his previous allegations that the political opposition had conspired with Western powers to overthrow him, a charge they deny. “What is happening to our democracy is catastrophic,” Hahn said in a statement. Khan, once a national cricket hero and international playboy, was elected in 2018 as the “modern” face of Pakistan, who had the support of the military and promised financial prosperity and an end to corruption. But his tenure in power has been hit by the financial crisis, including record inflation. He had also seen support for Islamic militant groups, and during his tenure, religious violence and public lynching of those accused of blasphemy increased. Nevertheless, Khan is still in command of his many supporters and is expected to run in the next election. In a Twitter post following the Supreme Court ruling, Kahn wrote: “My message to our nation is that I will always and will continue to fight for Pack until the last ball.”
