No-confidence motion against Imran Khan
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.[1][2][3] 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.[5] 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,[6] and mismanaging the economy and foreign policy.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.[17] 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.[24] 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,[25] an act on which the Supreme Court took suo moto notice of the ensuing constitutional crisis.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.[37] 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.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.[42] 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.[47] 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.[58] 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.[64] On 30 March 2022, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, another key ally of the PTI-led coalition government, formally announced that it was joining the opposition ranks.[72] On 1 March 2022, Khan met leaders of Pakistan Muslim League (Q) to discuss the political situation in the country, with the Prime Minister asking Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain to not take up the opposition's offer to join the no-confidence motion.[82] The basis of it was a diplomatic cable sent by Pakistan's ambassador to the US, Asad Majeed Khan, after his meeting with US State Department official Donald Lu in early March.[89] On 23 May 2022, Khan suggested that US State Department official Donald Lu be fired for interfering with Pakistan's domestic politics and "for bad manners and sheer arrogance.""[90] In an address to the nation on 3 April 2022, Prime Minister Khan announced that he had advised President Arif Alvi to dissolve assemblies following the dismissal of the no-confidence motion.[92] On 7 April 2022, the dismissal of the no-confidence motion without a vote and the subsequent dissolution of the National Assembly was ruled unconstitutional by the supreme court.In the conference, formation commanders expressed confidence in the decisions of the military leadership for upholding the constitution and law and reportedly took "stern notice of the propaganda campaign" against the Pakistan Army in the wake of Khan's ouster following the no-confidence motion.[114][115] The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested six people allegedly involved in a well-organized campaign on social media against the Pakistan Army.[118] On 9 April 2022, BBC Urdu reported[119][120] that Imran Khan had allegedly decided to sack the army chief, Qamar Javed Bajwa, which led to his government's ouster.[125] PTI claimed that the house of Dr Arsalan Khalid, former focal person to PM Imran Khan on digital media, was raided overnight,[126][127] and his family's phones and laptops were confiscated.
2022 Pakistani constitutional crisisParliament of PakistanImran KhanShehbaz Sharifnew governmentElectoral historyFamilyAwards and honoursShaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer HospitalNamal College1992 Cricket World CupInternational cricket five-wicket haulsPrime Minister of PakistanPremiershipGovernmentOath of officeFirst 100 daysInternational tripsEhsaas ProgrammeKamyab Jawan ProgramPlant for PakistanRoshan Digital AccountNaya Pakistan Housing & Development AuthorityPakistan Army Act, 2020Pakistan Navy Act, 2020Pakistan Airforce Act, 2020COVID-19 pandemicConstitutional crisisLettergateAl-Qadir Trust caseToshakhana reference casesIddat case2022–2023 Pakistan political unrest2022 Azadi March I2022 Azadi March II2023 Pakistani protestsMay 9 riotsAssassination attemptArrestPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf2014 Tsunami MarchInqilab MarchIhtisab March2024 Islamabad protestsWestminster systemNational Assembly of PakistanConstitutionmotion of no confidence2018 electionPakistan Democratic MovementLeader of the OppositionKhan's ministryhybrid regimeforeign policymilitary establishmenta diplomatic cablevisit to Russiaregime changeDonald LuUkraine ResolutionMaria ZakharovaThe Interceptdeputy speakerQasim Khan SuriBilawal Bhutto ZardariPakistan Peoples PartySupreme Court of PakistanpresidentArif Alvigeneral electionssuo motoensuing constitutional crisisSharif's cabinetthe United States of a regime change.2022 Pakistani political crisisconstitution of PakistancabinetBenazir BhuttoShaukat AzizFazal-ur-RehmanAsif Ali ZardariPakistan Muslim League (N)Nawaz SharifMaryam NawazMinister for InformationFawad ChaudhryNational Accountability BureauSpeaker of the National Assemblypresident of Pakistaninvasion of UkraineJamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F)Islamabad PoliceParliament LodgesMaulana Salahuddin AyyubiMuhammad Jamal ud DinMuhammad Ahsan YounasD-ChowkKamran MurtazaSaad RafiqSyed Rafiullahmembers of the National AssemblySheikh Rasheed AhmadIslamabadFaheem KhanAttaullah NiaziYousaf Raza GillaniRaja Pervez AshrafShahid Khaqan AbbasiSheikh RashidJamhoori Watan PartyShahzain BugtiBalochistan Awami PartyMuttahida Qaumi Movement-PakistanFarogh NaseemSyed Aminul HaqueMailsiChief of Army StaffPakistan Muslim League (Q)Shujaat HussainKarachiAmar Bil MaroofPervez KhattakAli ZaidiShafqat MahmoodQasim Suriletter