Pakistan Chooses New PM After Imran Khan Claims US-Backed ‘Regime Change’

 

by Kyle Anzalone | Apr 11, 2022

Imran Khan was removed as Pakistan’s Prime Minister after a successful no-confidence vote. He was ousted just days after accusing the US of attempting “regime change.” Shehbaz Sharif was selected by parliament to be the next prime minister.  

Khan has been prime minister since 2018. A broad-reaching opposition coalition voted him out on Sunday. Sharif is the younger brother of Nawaz Sharif, who served as PM on three occasions. During Khan’s rule, Sharif was charged with money laundering and arrested. He led the political alliance to remove Khan. 

Khan claims the US singled him out for “refusing to be used as a puppet of the West.” He refused an invitation from President Joe to the ‘summit of democracy.’ Recently, Pakistan has refused to back Western efforts to condemn Russia at the UN. Khan attempted to hold on to power by dissolving the country’s legislature in a last-ditch effort in a last-ditch effort, a move the supreme court invalidated. In response, he said, the US was attempting a “regime change.”

While Khan lost the legislature’s support, he still maintains some popularity. Protesters took to the streets across the country to support the former prime minister. In Islamabad, roadblocks were set up near the parliament building. Pakistan’s next election is set for the summer of 2023. 

Updated to include Shehbaz Sharif’s election as the next prime minister. 

https://libertarianinstitute.org/news-roundup/imran-khan-removed-from-power-after-claiming-us-backed-regime-change/