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Axios
Axios
World

Imran Khan removed as prime minister of Pakistan after no-confidence vote

Pakistan's Parliament has passed a no-confidence vote to remove Imran Khan as prime minister.

Why it matters: While no previous Pakistani prime minister has completed a full five-year term, the former cricket star is the first to be removed from office in a no-confidence vote, the New York Times notes.


By the numbers: The motion passed early Sunday local time in the 342-seat parliament with 174 votes — two more than was required for a simple majority, according to the Washington Post.

Driving the news: The country's Supreme Court said Thursday that a vote should go ahead after finding that Khan's ruling Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (Justice) Party's actions in blocking a no-confidence motion against him last week were unconstitutional, the BBC reports.

  • Khan had seen several recent defections — notably a key ally quitting the ruling coalition, which last month cost him the majority in Parliament.

The big picture: He took office in 2018 after running as an anti-establishment politician who pledged to clear up corruption in politics. But opposition parties said he failed to achieve this, according to Al Jazeera.

  • Opposition leaders also accused Khan of mismanaging the economy amid high inflation in the country, per the NYT.

What's next: Elections are due to be held within the next six months.

  • Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League party who spearheaded the campaign against Khan, was expected to become the interim prime minister, WashPost notes.

Flashback: Pakistan PM will "absolutely not" allow CIA to use bases for Afghanistan operations

Editor's note: This a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

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