The former cricketer was expected to speak in the country at night as weeks of political unrest approached – including allegations of foreign interference. No prime minister in Pakistan’s history has seen a full term, and Khan faces the biggest challenge to governing since his election in 2018, with opponents accusing him of financial mismanagement and foreign policy confusion. Discussions on the motion of censure are set to begin on Thursday, leaving Khan trying to keep his own members of the Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on his side – as well as a number of minority parties. The PTI and its coalition partners have 176 seats in the 342-member assembly, but on Wednesday the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-P) said its seven lawmakers would vote alongside the opposition, which has a total of 163 seats. More than a dozen PTI lawmakers have also said they will pass, although party leaders are trying to persuade the courts to prevent them from voting on Sunday. In the past, Pakistani parties have also resorted to physically barring lawmakers from voting against the constitution, barring access to the National Assembly, leading to cat and mouse chases and even kidnapping charges. The main opposition parties, the People’s Party of Pakistan (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), dominated national politics for decades until Khan formed a coalition against the militant groups. He was elected after vowing to eradicate decades of entrenched corruption and friendship, but he struggled to maintain support with soaring inflation, a weak rupee and ambitious debt. Some analysts say Khan has also lost crucial military support – claims both sides deny – and that the Pakistani military is key to political power. There have been four military coups, and at least as many unsuccessful ones, since independence in 1947, and the country has spent more than three decades under military rule. If Khan loses the vote, a new government could be led by PML-N Shehbaz Sharif, the brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who has not returned since receiving medical treatment abroad. PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto who was assassinated and former President Asif Zardari, is also likely to be given a senior role. A piece of paper in Khan’s sleeve could be to call early elections. the next one must be done before October 2023. “The best option in this situation would be new elections so that the new government can handle the economic, political and external problems facing the country,” said political analyst Talat Massoud, a retired general. “The country is heading towards something unpredictable; where there will be a lot of chaos and problems.”
