The government of PM Imran Khan is facing its biggest challenge with the opposition moving a no-confidence motion against it. The opposition parties Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam have moved the motion against PM Imran khan’s Pakistan Tareek-e-Insaaf (PTI). Even a lot of rebel members in the PTI are supporting the opposition.
The opposition has claimed that the PM-Imran Khan-led government has failed to improve the economic crisis and unemployment in the country. Before voting on the no-confidence motion, let us take a look at the tenure of PM Imran Khan, which is filled with several highs and lows.
Entry Into Politics:
Imran Khan was a popular cricketer in Pakistan. After the 1992 World Cup final between Pakistan and England, he retired from international cricket. Soon after, he engaged in social and philanthropic work.
In 1996, he formed the PTI and formally entered into the active politics of Pakistan. However, he was not in the spotlight because there were other leaders, like former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, who were the centre of attraction.
In 2013, the tables turned for Imran Khan when he began popularizing the idea of “Naya Pakistan”. The campaign became highly popular because there were strong corruption charges against the government. It made him highly popular, and soon he climbed to the top after winning the 2018 prime ministerial elections.
The Elections of 2018-
Imran Khan became the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan by winning 116 seats in the parliament and PTI emerged as the single largest party. He formed a coalition government with traditional parties like the PML and the PPP.
The former PM, Nawaz Sharif, was disqualified from the post of PM after his name flashed in the Panama Papers case. It alleged that he had gathered a lot of wealth in foreign nations, with other charges against him, resulting in a jail term of 10 years. Apart from the popularity he gained in cricket, his programs for anti-corruption and employment won him the people’s approval. But, as he has been unable to deliver on these promises, it has led to his downfall.
The Financial burden-
When PM Imran Khan formed a government, he inherited a high balance of payments and debt burden. Further, at the end of 2018, the burden reported a 45% increase from the previous year.
Two main reasons that worsened the situation, include the high dependence on imports and excessive spending on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The expense of the corridor made Pakistan financially dependent on China.
There was a hope that PM Imran Khan and his ruling party PTI would resolve the situation of high debt burden. However, the situation has further aggravated under the Imran-Khan-led government.
The Relationship Between Imran Khan Government and Military-
Imran Khan was said to have cordial relations with the military at the beginning of his Tenure. At the same time, when he achieved success in politics, the military was credited to provide their support to him. But, gradually it seems to have decreased.
It is speculated that his interference in the internal affairs of the armed forces has been one of the reasons for the eroding support of the military. The inference was not tolerated by the military.
The strained relationship came to the fore when PM Imran expressed that he wanted Lt General Faiz Hameed to continue on the post of director-general of ISI. The decision has reportedly ignited hostility between the PM and the Army chief.
Relations With India-
It was anticipated that PM Imran Khan would have cordial relations with India after his win in 2018. But, nothing concrete was done in this regard.
Moreover, PM Imran Khan has been a big critic of PM Modi, the BJP, and the RSS. At the same time, he openly criticized the Modi Government for the withdrawal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. This step completely stopped the ties between India and Pakistan.
A big step taken to improve the relations between both countries came when PM Imran approved the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor that connects Dera Baba Nanak Gurdwara in India with the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan. It enables the pilgrims in India to visit the holy shrine.
Interestingly, some days back PM Imran Khan praised the Independent foreign policy of India in the wake of the Ukraine-Russia war at a rally.
The situation is getting difficult for PM Imran Khan to save his government. It will be important to see if he can save his government in the no-confidence motion or not.
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