2022 removal of Pakistani prime minister
In April 2022, a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan led to his removal as the prime minister of Pakistan. Based largely on the Westminster system of legislature, the prime minister commands confidence of the majority of the lower house of Parliament, the National Assembly of Pakistan, under clause (2A) of Article 91 of the Constitution. Numerous opposition parties joined forces to file the motion of no confidence against Imran Khan in the National Assembly. It ultimately led to the removal of Khan from office as a majority passed the motion in the Lower House.
The decision to file a no-confidence motion against sitting prime minister Imran Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – who had held the position since the 2018 election – was taken at a summit of the opposition parties, united under the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance. Speaking at a joint press conference, the then-Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif said the motion was presented because of the government's poor performance in economic and social indicators during the four years of Khan's ministry. In the leadup to the no-confidence motion, Khan's PTI also faced defections from some lawmakers within its own ranks, which emboldened the opposition's move to file the motion.
On 8 March 2022, representatives of opposition parties filed the motion against Khan in the National Assembly, seeking to remove him from office, while accusing his alleged hybrid regime of poor governance, political victimisation of opponents, and mismanaging the economy and foreign policy. It is alleged that these factors also contributed to Khan's falling out with Pakistan's military establishment, which had remained a key backer of his government.
Khan claimed that he possessed a diplomatic cable dated 7 March, in which a "threat" was issued by the US government stating their desire to see Khan's ousting from office, with the stipulation that Pakistan would be "forgiven" if the motion against him succeeded. The US was allegedly unhappy with Khan's foreign policy and his visit to Russia.
Khan alleged that the United States was behind a "foreign conspiracy" to oust him in a regime change, and that he had written evidence attesting to this. These allegations were denied by the US government. Imran Khan also said that he has been punished on not accepting U.S. policy after withdrawal from Afghanistan. Donald Lu, US Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asia, evaded the question regarding his meeting with Pakistan's Ambassador to the U.S. Khan's party alleged that there is a close connection between regime changes after the UN's Ukraine Resolution. Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the U.S. has punished disobedient Imran Khan and termed that interference a shameless act. However, U.S. said that there is "absolutely no truth" in the allegations.
In August 2023, more than a year after Khan first made his claims, The Intercept published a leaked copy of the cable, which it claimed to have received from a disgruntled member of Pakistan's military. In the cable, Pakistan's ambassador to the United States reported that U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asia Donald Lu warned that the “isolation of the Prime Minister will become very strong from Europe and the United States” after Khan's visit to Russia, and that “if the no-confidence vote against the Prime Minister succeeds, all will be forgiven in Washington.” The cable confirmed Khan's prior claim, showing the US government exerted pressure on the Pakistani military and establishment to ensure an outcome favorable to the US interests.
On 3 April 2022, the motion of no confidence was unilaterally dismissed by the deputy speaker, Qasim Khan Suri, without putting the motion to a vote in the National Assembly, on grounds of "foreign interference". Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), announced challenging the ruling in the Supreme Court of Pakistan: "Our lawyers are on their way to Supreme Court. We call on all institutions to protect, uphold, defend and implement the constitution of Pakistan," he wrote.
With the motion set aside, and invoking his powers as prime minister, Khan advised president Arif Alvi to dissolve the National Assembly and called for fresh general elections, an act on which the Supreme Court took "suo moto" notice of the ensuing constitutional crisis. The development came after the opposition leaders demanded to review the "unconstitutional" ruling given by National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri. The Supreme Court, with a 5–0 vote, ruled that the deputy speaker's ruling to dismiss the motion and the subsequent dissolution of the National Assembly were unconstitutional, thus allowing the no-confidence vote to proceed. On 10 April, the no-confidence motion passed with a majority of 174 votes (out of 342) in the National Assembly, which resulted in Khan losing the confidence of the house and ceasing to hold the office of prime minister. Thus, Khan became the first Pakistani prime minister to lose a no-confidence vote. Later, Khan called for mass rallies against his removal and the new government.
On 11 April, Shehbaz Sharif was elected unopposed by the National Assembly to replace Khan as prime minister, as Khan's PTI party boycotted the vote and resigned en masse from the National Assembly. Sharif's cabinet, comprising 37 members, took oath on 19 April.
Khan accuses the United States of a regime change.
Background.
Under Article 58 of the constitution of Pakistan, a Prime Minister ceases to hold office if the majority of members of the National Assembly, equating to 172 members (out of 342), vote in favour of no-confidence. A successful vote means that cabinet would also be dissolved. When the motion is successful, a new prime minister is elected by the house, for which both the ruling party and opposition usually submit nomination papers of their chosen candidates.
At the time of the motion of no confidence, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the ruling party led by the prime minister, had a centrist coalition government, with 176 members on the treasury seats, while the combined number of opposition seats stood at 162. The total votes required to remove the prime minister are 172. Once a no-confidence motion is submitted, the Speaker must call the house to order within two weeks, and voting must take place on the motion within one week after the house is called in order.
No prime minister in Pakistan has previously been removed through a motion of no-confidence. A vote of no confidence against the premier has been tabled on two occasions before. In 1989, Benazir Bhutto survived a vote of no confidence. In 2006, Shaukat Aziz also survived a motion against him when the opposition was able to muster only 136 votes, short of the required simple majority of 172.
On 11 February 2022, Fazal-ur-Rehman, president of the Pakistan Democratic Movement, announced his intent to bring a vote of no confidence. The announcement came after a meeting of PDM's parliamentary parties. The opposition parties also decided to contact the incumbent government allies to convince them to join the vote of no confidence. The announcement came after the Pakistan Peoples Party, led by former president Asif Ali Zardari and his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, met Pakistan Muslim League (N)'s Shehbaz Sharif, who is Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, along with his niece and daughter of three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz.
In response, the federal Minister for Information, Fawad Chaudhry, accused the opposition of corruption and termed the opposition's no-confidence move a ploy to turn attention away from corruption cases that many of the opposition leaders were facing due to the charges levied against them by the National Accountability Bureau.
Vote of no-confidence.
The constitution of Pakistan allows for the removal of an incumbent prime minister if a no-confidence motion gains a simple majority. If parliament is not in session, opposition parties must also requisition the Speaker of the National Assembly to summon a session; once the requisition is submitted, the speaker has a maximum of 14 days to summon the session. Once the session is in attendance, the secretary of the house will circulate the motion for the no-confidence vote, which in this instance was moved to the next working day.
Once the motion is moved, according to the rules of procedure, it cannot be voted up before three days or after seven days. The vote is conducted by an open vote by division, once the session takes place, a bell is rung to inform any parliamentarians that might be outside the assembly hall; later, the gates are closed. Those in favour of no-confidence exit the hall from one side, those not in favour exit the hall from another side; once the members of the assembly begin to leave, the counting procedure starts, everyone re-enters the hall once the hall is emptied and all members have displayed their vote by exiting the hall.
After the vote is complete, if the no-confidence motion is successful, the speaker of the house informs the president of Pakistan in writing and secretary issues a notification to the gazette.
Events prior to the vote.
U.S. State Department.
According to a leaked classified Pakistani cable, at a March 7, 2022 meeting, a U.S. State Department representative stated that Khan's visit to Russia during its invasion of Ukraine "will be forgiven" if the no confidence vote against him was successful; otherwise, it would be "tough going ahead".
Parliament Lodges incident.
On 9 March 2022, members of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F)'s Ansar-ul-Islam, a uniform volunteer force entered Parliament Lodges. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) maintained that force will remain inside the lodges until the no-confidence motion was passed.
On 10 March 2022, Islamabad Police conducted an operation inside Parliament Lodges and arrested 19 people, including JUI-F MNAs Maulana Salahuddin Ayyubi and Muhammad Jamal ud Din for bringing Ansar-ul-Islam's workers in the Parliament Lodges.
Islamabad Inspector General of Police Muhammad Ahsan Younas suspended the officers in charge of D-Chowk under whose supervision Ansar-ul-Islam workers had entered the Parliament lodges.
Senator Kamran Murtaza along with other lawyers submitted the petition to the police station secretariat. The petition said that the policemen tortured them including Saad Rafiq, Syed Rafiullah and others, while the police did not have arrest warrants or the permission of the speaker.
The united opposition filed a privilege motion in the National Assembly against the operation, adding that a large contingent of police had infiltrated and the members of the National Assembly were arrested, beaten and their doors smashed.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad said that JUI-F's MNA Salahuddin Ayubi was not arrested, only 20 people of the "militia" involved in creating unrest at the lodges were arrested. The interior minister maintained that "it is the job of the state, not private militia to provided security to national buildings. The militia was dissolved in 2019, what you are trying to prove to bring them into the capital; we will not spare any private militia in the capital if seen in the uniform."
Sindh House protest.
Before vote of no confidence opposition claimed that they have group of dissidents lawmakers of then ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, and they could have a successful vote of no confidence even without involving government allies. However, the government denied and said that they have their lawmakers with them, and if opposition alliance will buy any of them this will be unconstitutional. This tug of war continued until 12 government lawmakers were found in Sindh House ‘sanctuary’. The Prime minister Imran Khan, claimed that MPs are bought with bags full of cash and this is an open horse-trading. However, the dissented law markers during their interaction with media denied the allegations and said that there was no money involved.
On 18 March 2022, PTI protesters stormed Sindh House in Islamabad and broke through the gate. Workers protested and chanted slogans against deviant members of parliament. Protesters held Ewer and sticks in their hands. Police arrested 12 people, including two PTI members of the National Assembly, Faheem Khan and Attaullah Niazi. The PTI MNAs were later released on personal bail.
PPP's Yousaf Raza Gillani, Raja Pervez Ashraf and PML-N's Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that if there was a police operation on Sindh House then Prime Minister Imran Khan and Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid would be responsible for the results. PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Prime Minister Khan was trying to prove his "third power" by creating an unstable situation through the use of force.
Allies join PDM.
On 27 March 2022, Jamhoori Watan Party's Shahzain Bugti