Forty-nine years ago, on April 10, 1973, Pakistan’s Parliament had approved its Constitution. Cut to 2022, on the same day, the country saw the first time that a Prime Minister was ousted following a no-confidence vote. Imran Khan, whose political career did not quite end the way his professional cricketing career did, lost the no-trust vote late on Saturday, with 174 members in the 342-strong House voting in favour of the resolution.
How will this change in power play out for India? From New Delhi’s perspective, here are seven key takeaways:
Pakistan’s democracy
Pakistan’s democracy, a flawed one, is still a “guided democracy”. After a chaotic week of moving no-trust motions and Supreme Court judgments, the Pakistan Parliament — after days of back and forth — was able to prevail and oust the incumbent government.
While this is the first time that a sitting PM in Pakistan has been voted out, that has been a normal occurrence in India. This means that democracy in Pakistan is gradually finding its feet.
🗞️ Subscribe Now: Get Express Premium to access the best Election reporting and analysis 🗞️
Imran Khan’s downfall
Khan’s downfall is spectacular. He arrived as this unknown commodity from political perspective, since he didn’t belong to the mainstream parties — either the Pakistan (Muslim League (Nawaz) or the Pakistan People’s Party. He held a lot of promise which meant that he did not carry any historical baggage. But that soon proved to be a mirage as he became unpopular, each passing day.
Army is still calling the shots
In Pakistan, the Army still calls the shots. As many say in Pakistan, the Army were the ones to “select” Imran Khan to become the Prime Minister. However, as the relations started getting strained over time, the Army finally decided to dump him, making it clear that no political leader can survive without the support of the military.
The Russia-Ukraine crisis
The crisis between Russia and Ukraine was something that had a direct impact in Pakistan. Imran Khan, by going to Russia at the time of the invasion, invited wrath and raised eyebrows across the world for his diplomatic naivete. This did not go down too well with the United States as well, which had reportedly asked him to not go to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. Islamabad’s calculus of going there cost Khan a lot.
The India factor
India has always been a factor in Pakistan’s politics. While New Delhi has been in and out of Islamabad’s political discourse, this time, Imran Khan had praised India for its foreign policy, as he targeted Pakistan’s military establishment for its inept handling of its international and security policies. This is said to have irked Rawalpindi more than ever.
Return of the Sharifs
Four years ago, the Sharifs were defeated and were out of favour. By ousting Imran Khan, Nawaz Sharif’s brother Shehbaz Sharif has shown that he still holds the cards to be back in the game. He was the one to move the no-confidence motion against Khan, and has worked his way into getting the support of the Pakistan Army. Nawaz Sharif, who is still in London, was also remembered by his brother during his speech after the no-confidence motion. Sharif has always been very positive about improving relations with India, but that could be difficult because of Imran Khan’s statements.
Chance for an opening with India
Imran Khan had made it politically difficult for New Delhi to open channels, as he had personally attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-RSS combine in the last two-and-half years of him heading the country. His ouster makes it relatively easier for New Delhi and Islamabad to start diplomatic conversations.
Newsletter | Click to get the day’s best explainers in your inbox