A key ally of Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan was removed on Friday as chief minister of the country's largest province, dealing blow to Khan's plans to force snap polls in the South Asian nation.
The move will deepen political instability in Pakistan which is in economic meltdown with a severe balance of payment crises.
Punjab Governor Muhammad Baligh-ur-Rehman, an appointee of Khan's opponent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, issued an order Friday to remove Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.
