Bereft of allies and coalition partners, embattled Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was ousted from power in the early hours of Saturday following a no-confidence vote.
The combined opposition that spans the political spectrum from the left to the radically religious will form the new government in Pakistan, with Nawaz Sharif’s brother Shahbaz Sharif, the head of one of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, taking over as prime minister.
Khan’s ouster extends Pakistan’s unenviable record for political instability: no prime minister has completed their full term since independence from Britain in 1947, although Khan is the first to be removed through a no-confidence vote.
Though the week-long drama preceding the trust vote plunged Pakistan in constitutional crisis, Imran Khan’s downfall had been in the making since last year when he crossed swords with the country’s all powerful army.
News18 was among the first to report on the crisis brewing in Pakistan in November last year. Here’s a look at a timeline of the saga plotted in exclusive News18 reports.
November 15, 2021: Whiff of Imran Khan vs Army
Sources tell News18 that the Pakistan army is plotting to remove Imran Khan as PM after the government needled the all-powerful institution by appointing a new chief to help spy agency ISI. FULL STORY
December 22, 2021: Khan Faces Global Flak
Imran Khan invites international ire for defending Taliban’s treatment of women in Afghanistan at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Islamabad. FULL STORY
February 13, 2022: Oppn Unites Against Khan
Pakistan Democratic Movement, a coalition of opposition parties like Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz as well as PTI allies Muttahida Quami Movement and Pakistan Muslim League-Q, decide to bring no-confidence motion against Imran Khan. FULL STORY
February 25, 2022: US Upset With Imran
Sources tell News18 that the Joe Biden administration is upset with Imran Khan for meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin just before the invasion of Ukraine. Khan would later go on to accuse the US of interfering in Pakistan’s affairs, citing a letter that purportedly showed a senior US official informing Pakistani diplomats that bilateral ties could improve if Imran Khan goes. FULL STORY
March 8, 2022: No-Confidence Motion Moved
News18 among the first to report on the Opposition moving a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan government. Sources say the motion is signed by 86 members of the National Assembly, the lower house of Pakistan’s parliament. FULL STORY
March 14, 2022: Allies Start Flexing Muscles
Imran Khan finds himself juggling demands from coalition allies in exchange for support in the trust vote. PML-Q demands Chaudhry Parvez Elahi be replaced as Punjab province PM, replacing Usman Buzdar. FULL STORY
March 23, 2022: Army Wants Khan to Resign
Khan’s fight for survival gets tougher as sources say tell News18 the army wants him to resign “respectfully". FULL STORY
March 28, 2022: Shahbaz Sharif Emerges Frontrunner
News18 reports that Shahbaz Sharif, PML-N president and brother of deposed leader Nawaz Sharif, is the united opposition choice to replace Imran Khan. Sources add that cleric and president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman could replace Arif Alvi as President. FULL STORY
March 29, 2022: Khan Woos Allies With Portfolio
Imran Khan offers Ports and Shipping portfolio to ally MQM-P in exchange for support in trust vote. The ministry had been a long-pending demand of the PTI ally which had seven seats in the house. FULL STORY
March 29, 2022: Threat Letter Decoded
News18 learns from highly placed sources that the letter cited by Imran Khan as proof of foreign conspiracy was an internal communication written by then US ambassador to the foreign ministry. Khan would later confirm during a televised address that the letter was a diplomatic cable from the US, which denied the charge. FULL STORY
April 3, 2022: Imran’s Plan of Action
News18 reports on Imran Khan’s likely battle plan for the trust vote which included an attempt to drown the vote in chaos and then move the Supreme Court seeking clarity. The plan partially was acted upon with the PTI and allies sidestepping the vote during a chaotic session and then dissolving the parliament. FULL STORY
April 3, 2022: News18 Accesses Pak Oppn Petition
Opposition’s petition challenges the events of a chaotic parliament session. The petition, a copy of which was accessed by News18, says the deputy speaker’s act to disallow voting amounted to “violation of fundamental rights". FULL STORY
April 9, 2022: Imran Isolated Further
Imran Khan courts war on all fronts with the foreign services officials said to be upset with the interim PM for politicising a diplomatic cable purportedly from the US. Sources tell News18 that the officials wanted the Foreign Secretary to stop tabling of the documents. The country’s Supreme Court had already barred the government from making its contents public. FULL STORY
April 9, 2022: Three Scenarios Emerge
On what is imminently Imran Khan’s last day in office, News18 reports on three likely scenarios in Pakistan. Calling supporters to the streets Imran Khan banks on possibility of clashes and chaos, and courts contempt of court by pushing the trust vote past midnight. Having lost majority, if Imran Khan does not go quietly, the SC may ask military to intervene to restore order. FULL STORY
April 10, 2022: Imran on Way Out, May Lose Shah Mahmood Qureshi
Having lost the midnight trust vote, Imran Khan may end up losing ally Shah Mahmood Qureshi who is reportedly angry with the outgoing PM. Qureshi, the outgoing foreign minister, is reportedly upset with Khan for using diplomatic channels for domestic policy. FULL STORY
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