AnalysisRussia visit, Chinese investment work against Pakistan’s Imran Khan as calls for ouster grow
- Khan visited Moscow as President Vladimir Putin launched his Ukraine invasion, sparking anger from Islamabad’s Western allies
- Pakistan’s military holds the cards in PM’s future and may intervene, but Khan’s administration is unpopular due to poor economic governance
“The ruling party is trying to retain the support of the military, whereas the opposition is trying to drive a wedge and compel the military into a neutral position,” he said.
Considered the arbitrator of Pakistan’s nominally democratic political dispensation, the military could ensure Khan’s demise by remaining a neutral observer of Tuesday’s no-confidence move, said Najam Sethi, an eminent political commentator based in Lahore.
Because of constitutional vagaries, the move against Khan could take several weeks to play out, he said – especially if the speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly connives with the prime minister to delay or manipulate the voting process.
The military may yet intervene to save Khan’s administration, Sethi said, but there is no sign of a rescue mission so far because the military is fed up with taking flak for the poor governance record of Khan’s administration.
The Khan administration’s mismanagement of Pakistan’s economy – in particular its inability to curb persistent double-digit inflation of consumer prices – has made it deeply unpopular with the electorate.