Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan is facing arguably the biggest challenge of his political career, as the opposition seeks to remove him from office in a vote of no confidence.

The country's lawmakers will convene on Thursday to begin debating the motion as Mr Khan's future appears to be hanging by a thread.

In recent days there has been a flurry of activity - and what some argue were tactics straight out of Machiavelli's playbook - which resulted in several Khan allies deserting his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, tilting the scales firmly in the opposition's favour.

A simple majority of 172 in the 342-seat National Assembly against the former cricket legend would cut short his tenure as PM. On Wednesday, the magic number was breached when his main coalition ally, the MQM, joined the opposition. It means on paper the opposition now commands 175 votes to the government's 164.

Imran Khan, elected in July 2018 vowing to tackle corruption and fix the economy, isn't going quietly. He hosted a massive rally on Sunday in Islamabad to show he remains wildly popular with his supporters.

Government employees gather near the Governor"s office during a protest against inflation demanding increment in their salaries, in Quetta, Pakistan, 24 March 2022.

Thundering against his arch-rivals - three-time premier Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari, husband of the murdered PM Benazir Bhutto - Mr Khan also waved a letter at the adoring crowd, alleging it contained evidence of a "foreign conspiracy" in cahoots with "corrupt thieves" aiming to topple his government.

He has yet to reveal the letter's contents, despite repeated promises. Adding to the drama, his address to the nation on Wednesday was postponed without explanation.

Source: BBC

BDST: 1214 HRS, MAR 31, 2022
SMS