Pakistan PM Imran Khan dissolves parliament

[PhaelixWW]

The Pakistan PM accuses the US of trying to overthrow the government, and his response is... to dissolve the government.

Pakistan in political turmoil as leader dissolves parliament

Pakistan’s prime minister threw the country into political limbo on Sunday, accusing the United States of attempting to oust him and cancelling a no-confidence vote he was poised to lose. He then ordered the National Assembly dissolved so new elections can be held.

The moves by Imran Khan appeared to trigger a constitutional crisis: Pakistan's Supreme Court must rule on their legality, but it adjourned until Monday and gave no indication when the matter would be settled. In Pakistan, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan has just begun.

The dramatic episode was the latest in an escalating dispute between Khan and parliament, after defectors within his own party and a minor coalition partner joined the opposition and attempted to oust him from power. It was unclear on Sunday where the powerful military — which has directly ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 75-year history — stood in the fray.

The former cricket star turned conservative Islamic leader sought to justify the measures by accusing the United States of trying to overthrow his government. His Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry accused the opposition of collusion with a foreign power when he successfully filed the motion to the deputy speaker of parliament to throw out the vote.

The opposition, which accuses Khan of mismanaging the economy, arrived in Parliament ready to vote Khan out of power, and say they have the simple majority of 172 votes in the 342-seat assembly to do so.

Khan, who was not in Parliament on Sunday, went on national television to announce he was submitting the dissolution request, which President Arif Alvi later executed.

“I ask people to prepare for the next elections. Thank God, a conspiracy to topple the government has failed,” Khan said in his address. According to Pakistan’s constitution, an interim government inclusive of the opposition will now see the country toward elections held within 90 days.

In the capital Islamabad, security forces braced for the worst, locking down much of the city as a defiant Khan called for supporters to stage demonstrations countrywide. Giant metal containers blocked roads and entrances to the capital's diplomatic enclave, as well as Parliament and other sensitive government installations.

Khan has accused the opposition of being in cahoots with the United States to unseat him, saying America wants him gone over his foreign policy choices that often favor China and Russia. Khan has also been a strident opponent of America’s war on terror and Pakistan’s partnership in that war with Washington.

Khan has circulated a memo which he insists provides proof that Washington conspired with Pakistan's opposition to unseat him because America wants “me, personally, gone ... and everything would be forgiven.” He offered no concrete evidence of US interference.

Political chaos also spread to Punjab — the country's largest province — which is set to vote for a new chief minister. Khan's favored candidate faced a tough challenge, and his opponents claimed they had enough votes to install their own ally. After a scuffle between lawmakers, the provincial assembly was adjourned until April 6 without any vote.

Pakistan's main opposition parties — a mosaic of ideologies from leftists to the radically religious — have been rallying for Khan's ouster almost since he was elected in 2018. Then, his win was mired in controversy and widespread accusations that the army helped his Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (Justice) Party to victory.

Asfandyar Mir, a senior expert with the Washington-based U.S. Institute of Peace, said the military's involvement in the 2018 polls undermined Khan's legitimacy from the outset.

“The movement against Imran Khan’s government is inseparable from his controversial rise to power in the 2018 election, which was manipulated by the army to push Khan over the line,” said Mir. “That really undermined the legitimacy of the electoral exercise and created the grounds for the current turmoil."

Pakistan's military has a history of overthrowing successive democratically elected governments and indirectly manipulating others from the sidelines.

The opposition also blames Khan for high inflation that's hitting households. But his government is also credited with maintaining a foreign reserve account of $18 billion, bringing in a record $29 billion last year from overseas Pakistanis.

Khan's anti-corruption reputation is credited with encouraging expatriate Pakistanis to send money home. His government has also received international praise for its handling of the COVID-19 crisis and implementing so-called “smart lockdowns” rather than countrywide shutdowns. As a result, several of Pakistan's key industries, such as construction, have survived.

Khan's leadership style has often been criticized as confrontational.

“Khan’s biggest failing has been his insistence on remaining a partisan leader to the bitter end,” said Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center.

“He hasn’t been willing to extend a hand across the aisle to his rivals,” said Kugelman. “He’s remained stubborn and unwilling to make important compromises. As a result, he’s burned too many bridges at a moment when he badly needs all the help he can get.”

Khan’s insistence there is U.S. involvement in attempts to oust him exploits a deep-seated mistrust among many in Pakistan of U.S. intentions, particularly following 9/11, said Mir.

Washington has often berated Pakistan for doing too little to fight Islamic militants, even as thousands of Pakistanis have died at their hands and the army has lost more than 5,000 soldiers. Pakistan has been attacked for aiding Taliban insurgents while also being asked to bring them to the peace table.

“The fact that it has such easy traction in Pakistan speaks to some of the damage U.S. foreign policy has done in the post 9/11 era in general and in Pakistan in particular,” said Mir. “There is a reservoir of anti-American sentiment in the country, which can be instrumentalized easily by politicians like Khan.”

[Lynarii]

The big problem with this is that it is a believable claim. It shouldn't be, it should be clearly the desperate flailings of a man trying to cling to power. Unfortunately the US has enough of a reputation for doing exactly that, and a big enough hate on for the area in general, that it is the kind of thing that a decent percentage of people will accept without any actual proof.

[PhaelixWW]

The big problem with this is that it is a believable claim. It shouldn't be, it should be clearly the desperate flailings of a man trying to cling to power. Unfortunately the US has enough of a reputation for doing exactly that, and a big enough hate on for the area in general, that it is the kind of thing that a decent percentage of people will accept without any actual proof.

Even his claims of the "proof", what little he's even said, have changed over the course of the last week.

[Kaleredar]

The big problem with this is that it is a believable claim. It shouldn't be, it should be clearly the desperate flailings of a man trying to cling to power. Unfortunately the US has enough of a reputation for doing exactly that, and a big enough hate on for the area in general, that it is the kind of thing that a decent percentage of people will accept without any actual proof.

What with the current situation in Russia and the US' overall withdrawal from the middle east, I have my doubts that Pakistan ranks very highly in current US concerns.

On the other hand, failing autocratic leaders with aspirations of dictatorship taking bold moves to secure their dwindling power seems to be in vogue these days.

We can thank our lucky stars it didn't play out in the US in 2020. Hopefully the people of Pakistan can affect a similar change.

[PhaelixWW]

What with the current situation in Russia and the US' overall withdrawal from the middle east, I have my doubts that Pakistan ranks very highly in current US concerns.

A large part of the current concern stems from Khan's close connection to Putin and his unwillingness to condemn the invasion.

Like... most of the world condemns this, so it's hard to suggest that it's universally some US plot to conspire against him, especially considering the alliance of divergent political and ideological groups even in his own country that have come together to oppose him.

On the other hand, failing autocratic leaders with aspirations of dictatorship taking bold moves to secure their dwindling power seems to be in vogue these days.

We can thank our lucky stars it didn't play out in the US in 2020. Hopefully the people of Pakistan can affect a similar change.

Hopefully the Pakistani military doesn't intervene, as it's been quite often known to do.

[PACOX]

US and Pakistan have always had this toxic 'friendship' that sat on US assets wanting to maintain a presence in the Middle East and Pakistan willing to be bought. The US has been getting screwed in the that relationship for years, but it was deemed as too strategic to let go.

Imran is full of shit. Straight up pulled the Emperor Palpatine excuse to dissolve parliament. Colossal irrational response using something that's technically true but not applicable. Like Putin's stupid Nazi excuse.

This idiot has nukes so he might be trying to amass some foreign asskissing.

Im playing crazy dictator! Better send me some moneyb before I go crazy!

[Lynarii]

Even his claims of the "proof", what little he's even said, have changed over the course of the last week.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it is true. If it was and he actually had solid proof, he'd have it front and center in every communication he is making. The only reason for him to be cagey and talk about having it and waffle on what even it is is because it's not true.

All I'm saying is that our history of being a bad actor in that respect makes it a compelling story to the people he's trying to convince.

[Endus]

Just for clarity before people misrepresent some basic facts;

Parliamentary systems are meant to be dissolved like this. It's standard practice. This is just the PM initiating the process, forestalling (according to the article) a no-confidence vote against him and his government, which would itself have initiated this same process, basically. Both sides are accusing the other of foul play, but both were seeking a new election anyway, so a lot of this is partisan bluster and doesn't actually carry much real meaning; the question of whether Khan had the constitutional capacity to dissolve Parliament all by himself is kind of a weird concern when that's what the opposition was trying to achieve with their threatened non-confidence vote in the first place.

Not taking any particular positions on any particular individuals, but this isn't remotely like, say, Biden dissolving Congress and forcing an election cycle in 90 days' time. This is pretty normal stuff for parliamentary systems; elections are typically called, either through a non-confidence vote or through leadership calling for an election directly, rather than because terms have expired and an election is mandated. Those terms are upper limits, not the expected end point for any given administration.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

the question of whether Khan had the constitutional capacity to dissolve Parliament all by himself is kind of a weird concern when that's what the opposition was trying to achieve with their threatened non-confidence vote in the first place.

I imagine it's more about the optics rather than the result. The opposition would look stronger if they forced him out and Khan looks stronger if he can stick the landing on this claim of "US interference".

[Endus]

I imagine it's more about the optics rather than the result. The opposition would look stronger if they forced him out and Khan looks stronger if he can stick the landing on this claim of "US interference".

Yeah, it's absolutely about optics. And like I said; I'm not making any case about whether there's corruption or who's corrupt or whatnot, just that "OMG parliament's DISSOLVED" type reactions would be completely unwarranted. This is really standard parliamentary procedure.

[PhaelixWW]

Yeah, it's absolutely about optics. And like I said; I'm not making any case about whether there's corruption or who's corrupt or whatnot, just that "OMG parliament's DISSOLVED" type reactions would be completely unwarranted. This is really standard parliamentary procedure.

Perhaps in other circumstances. But it certainly doesn't sound like this is the case here.

Aljazeera: Can the dissolution of Pakistan’s parliament be overturned?

The decision by Pakistan’s parliamentary speaker to block the no-confidence vote in parliament against Prime Minister Imran Khan, and the subsequent dissolution of the National Assembly, has triggered a constitutional crisis as the opposition plans to appeal against the moves at the Supreme Court.

The National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser ruled that the no-confidence motion violated Article 5 of the Constitution, which calls for loyalty to the state and constitution.

The opposition, which needed 172 votes to unseat Khan and his Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf-(PTI)-led government, now claims the support of 195 members of parliament.

Khan claims moves to unseat him are a conspiracy between the opposition and foreign powers.

President Arif Alvi dissolved the parliament on Sunday on the advice of Khan who also called for snap elections.

But Pakistan’s Supreme Court will hear the opposition’s appeal of the moves on Monday.

Al Jazeera spoke to constitutional experts and analysts to understand the current political crisis in the South Asian nation.


Salahuddin Ahmed – Supreme Court lawyer and constitutional expert

“I think the act of the speaker is clearly unconstitutional. His job is to count the votes, not to decide whether any of the opposition members is some part of a foreign conspiracy. He cannot just throw out a motion of no-confidence.

Normally, the speaker’s rulings are granted immunity from judicial scrutiny, but in case – where it’s beyond the jurisdiction of the speaker – the courts can intervene.

And in this case, they probably will. I don’t recall any elected civilian government in the past making such a brazenly unconstitutional move. What has effectively happened today is that the Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has replaced the will of the parliament with the whim of the speaker.”


Salman Akram Raja – Supreme Court lawyer

“There is a provision in the constitution, Article 69, that says courts are not to look into the matters on the floor of the House, but there are exceptions.

And we have precedence in the past where the ruling by the speaker has been set aside by the Supreme Court. Article 5 of the constitution says that you will obey the constitution and be loyal to the constitution. This has nothing to do with the resolution in the House. For the speaker to say he has decided this resolution is based on disloyalty is a nonsensical position. There is no softer word I can use.

If there is disobedience of the constitution and an attempt to subvert the constitutional process at the behest of a foreign power then you need proper proceedings under Article 6 of the constitution that proves treason.”


Zaigham Khan – Political analyst

“[The dissolution is] a blatant violation of the constitution and can lead to a very serious crisis.

There are two possibilities, I think. Firstly, the Supreme Court of Pakistan will order the speaker to go ahead with the no-confidence motion. In that case, the PM’s advice for dissolving the Assembly will become invalid.

Another scenario is parallel to the case of former Prime Minister Muhammad Khan Junejo who was ousted by General Zia-ul-Haq in 1988.

Junejo went to the Supreme Court, which agreed with him that his government was dissolved unconstitutionally. But court said that since elections were announced, it was best if Pakistan moved ahead with the elections to get a new mandate. That’s another example from history, but it doesn’t seem very probable to me.”


Benazir Shah – Senior journalist

“Pakistan seems to be in the grip of instability and a constitutional crisis. What is dangerous is that the government itself, which is tasked to protect and implement the constitution and law, is comfortable violating the constitution to stay in power.

There was a fear, a few days before the vote, that the ruling party will use unconstitutional means to avoid the vote of no trust. As earlier the interior minister had suggested banning political parties or asking the Pakistan military to intervene.

The message from PTI seems to be: if we can’t rule, no one can.”

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

Perhaps in other circumstances. But it certainly doesn't sound like this is the case here.

Well, I think the point Endus is getting at is that it is standard procedure for parliament to be dissolved... he's not really weighing in on this case specifically. Like, even if the vote of non-confidence were to go through...the next step would be to dissolve parliament and hold an election. As to the exact circumstances here...well, neither I nor Endus are experts in Pakistan Constitutional Law...so we're not willing to say either way whether or not the PM has the power to do what he did in this particular case.

[Endus]

Well, I think the point Endus is getting at is that it is standard procedure for parliament to be dissolved... he's not really weighing in on this case specifically. Like, even if the vote of non-confidence were to go through...the next step would be to dissolve parliament and hold an election. As to the exact circumstances here...well, neither I nor Endus are experts in Pakistan Constitutional Law...so we're not willing to say either way whether or not the PM has the power to do what he did in this particular case.

Right. Was there possibly some actions taken that weren't, technically, by the book? Sure. Does it seem like that technicality is actually meaningful in any practical manner? I don't actually see how.

The opposition threatened a non-confidence vote. The effect of such a vote in a Parliamentary system is that government is dissolved and an election is called. In Pakistan's case, it appears an interim government is formed by all parties for the 90 days before the election (in Canada, by comparison, our civil service will just continue to implement extant policy without further change until a new government is in place).

The opposition is now upset that the Prime Minister . . . dissolved parliament and called for an election.

It looks very much like a "you're gonna hit me with a water ballon? Hah! I'll just dump this bucket over my head and make MYSELF wet! Gotcha!"

Complaining that it's not "fair" to dunk yourself with a bucket because that's against the rules of the water fight seems silly when the goal was to get you wet, and that goal was achieved.

[PhaelixWW]

Like, even if the vote of non-confidence were to go through...the next step would be to dissolve parliament and hold an election.

It doesn't sound like that's the case in Pakistan.

Aljazeera: Pakistan’s Khan faces removal: How do no-confidence motions work?

What happens after the vote?

If Khan loses the vote, parliament can continue to function until its five-year tenure ends in August 2023, after which a general election is due within 60 days.

There will be a vote in the National Assembly to elect a new prime minister to serve until then. Candidates can be put forward by any party represented in the assembly.

The new prime minister can, however, call a general election immediately, without waiting until 2023.

Some constitutional analysts say the assembly can be dissolved and a general election held if no candidate can secure a majority of votes to become the prime minister.

So it sounds like the dissolution of the parliament isn't automatic under a successful vote. Basically, rather than being replaced today, Khan is delaying his ouster by at least 15 days.

Also, wikipedia is confusingly contradictory, lol:

Currently the National Assembly can not be dissolved by the President of Pakistan; it is dissolved by the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

...

On 3 April 2022 President of Pakistan Arif Alvi dissolved the Assembly Under Section 58-I and 48-I on the advice of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

[PhaelixWW]

CNN: Pakistan's top court rules that blocking a no-confidence vote against Imran Khan was unconstitutional

Pakistan's Supreme Court has ruled that a decision to block a vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Imran Khan was unconstitutional, with legislators now set to vote on Saturday.

The Supreme Court reached the unanimous decision after special proceedings that stretched to four days while Khan and his loyalist President Arif Alvi had steamrolled a process to start early elections. The Supreme Court also quashed Khan's order to dissolve parliament and call for early elections, calling it of "no legal effect."

A vote of confidence for Khan will now be held on Saturday at 10:30am local (1:30a ET).

Khan had called the election in a dramatic attempt to cling to power after the deputy speaker of parliament blocked a vote of no-confidence against him last Sunday, which had appeared almost certain to succeed.

Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri said that he had acted to prevent a 'foreign conspiracy' to unseat Khan's regime.

That move, and Khan's subsequent dissolution of parliament, enraged an opposition that for months have been demanding his removal over claims of poor governance and economic mismanagement.

The opposition responded by accusing Khan of treason and asking the country's highest court to rule on whether the prime minister had breached the constitution.

The court battle is the latest escalation in a crisis that has been smoldering for weeks, with Khan already having lost the backing of key political allies and the country's powerful military.

Military spokesperson Maj. Gen. Babar Iftikhar moved to distance the country's military from developments in a statement Sunday, insisting it was not involved in what is "purely a political situation."

Pakistan, a nation of 220 million, has struggled with political instability since its formation in 1947 with multiple regime changes and military coups. No prime minister has ever completed a full five-year term under the present constitution of 1973.

The country's main opposition parties have been rallying for Khan's dismissal since he rose to power in 2018 after an election mired in accusations of vote rigging and foul play.

More recently, he has been dogged by claims of economic mismanagement as his government battles depleting foreign exchange reserves and double-digit inflation, with the cost of basic necessities such as food and fuel skyrocketing.

Khan's response has been to double down on claims that opposition to him is being fueled by the United States. He has not offered any evidence to support his claims, and the State Department has denied the allegations.

[PhaelixWW]

NYTimes: Pakistan Parliament Ousts Imran Khan as Prime Minister

Imran Khan, the former international cricket star turned politician who oversaw a new era of Pakistan’s foreign policy that distanced the country from the United States, was removed as prime minister early on Sunday after losing a no-confidence vote in Parliament.

The vote, coming amid soaring inflation and a rift between Mr. Khan’s government and the military, capped a political crisis that has embroiled the country for weeks and came down to the wire in a parliamentary session that dragged into the early morning hours. Pakistan remains in a state of turmoil as it heads into an early election season in the coming months.

Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation with the world’s second-largest Muslim population, has struggled with instability and military coups since its founding 75 years ago. While no prime minister in Pakistan has ever completed a full five-year term in office, Mr. Khan is the first to be removed in a no-confidence vote.

The motion to oust Mr. Khan was passed with 174 votes, two more than the requisite simple majority.

Analysts expect that lawmakers will choose the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, a member of a Pakistani political dynasty, to serve as interim prime minister until the next general election, probably in October. Mr. Khan is expected to run in that election as well.