Islamabad: For some time now, Pakistani politics has been on a path of uncertainty. Prime Minister Imran Khan is set to face a no-confidence vote. Prime Minister Imran Khan has suffered a major setback after opposition parties introduced a no-confidence motion in Pakistan’s National Assembly. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), a key ally of Imran’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, has reached an agreement with the opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), local media reported. This will be a huge setback for Imran. Meanwhile, political observers have begun debating who will be the next prime minister if E Mran Khan loses the no-confidence vote.
If Imran Khan loses the no-confidence vote, there are indications that a new government could be formed under the leadership of Shehbaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the opposition leader and brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari made the remarks on Wednesday.
‘Imran Khan has now lost his majority. He is no longer the Prime Minister. Parliament convenes tomorrow. The issue can be resolved by holding a vote tomorrow. Then let us begin the journey towards transparent elections and the restoration of democracy. Then we can begin the process of overcoming the financial crisis, “Bhutto told a news conference. Bilawal added that Shahbaz Sharif would be the next Prime Minister. Shahbaz Sharif introduced the no-confidence motion against the Khan government in the National Assembly. He is the current Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly. Shahbaz, the longest-serving chief minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province, has served three terms. In 1997, he became the Chief Minister of Punjab for the first time. But following the coup of General Pervez Musharraf in 1999, he had to leave Pakistan and live in exile in Saudi Arabia for the next eight years. In 2007, Shahbaz Sharif and his brother returned to Pakistan. After his party won the 2008 general election, he became the Chief Minister of Punjab again.
In December 2019, the National Accountability Bureau froze 23 properties belonging to Shahbaz Sharif and his son Hamza. The action was for money laundering. He was arrested by the NAB in September 2020 in the same case and remanded in custody pending trial. In April 2021, he was released on bail by the Lahore High Court in a money laundering case.