No prime minister in Pakistan’s history has been able to serve his or her entire term. This often had something to do with the army, which is very much in control of the country’s governance – and on several occasions took over all power in a coup d’état.
Imran Khan’s comings and goings also parallel his relationship with ‘Rawalpindi’, where the army headquarters is located. While a former cricketer and anti-corruption activist also gave much hope to young voters, it is widely accepted that he could not have won the 2018 election without the support of the military.
His performance on the economy has been criticized for some time, and in 2020 there were even large demonstrations led by a coalition of opposition parties. But over the course of 2021, it became clear that the military was no longer with him, as Khan and army chief General Qatar Bajwa publicly argued over the succession to the intelligence chief.
Bajwa won the battle. In recent weeks, Bajwa has expressed dissatisfaction with Khan’s stance on the war in Ukraine, which he has not condemned. While Khan labeled the no-confidence vote as a US conspiracy, Bajwa spoke out against the war and for the US on Saturday.
The opposition is making no secret of making use of these new relations by presenting the vote of no confidence right now.
–
