Imran Khan demands immediate parliamentary elections
Former Pakistani Prime Minister announces he will be holding a public gathering and demands an immediate election via people's vote.
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Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan demanded that immediate parliamentary elections be held in order to appoint a new prime minister through a public election.
On Sunday, the Pakistani parliament ousted Khan in a vote of no confidence. The following day, the parliament elected opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif from the Pakistan Muslim League-N as the country's new prime minister.
Sharif was the only candidate after Khan loyalist and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi withdrew his candidacy and resigned his seat.
Earlier, Al Mayadeen correspondent reported that the result of the parliament's vote came in favor of withdrawing confidence from Khan with 174 votes.
#ShehbazSharif, #ImranKhan's successor, has a remarkable history of corruption along with his family.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 11, 2022
Does Sharif's election confirm the ex-PM's claims of #US meddling in #Pakistan's internal affairs? pic.twitter.com/W7TeR4nVCQ
Hours after being ousted, Khan tweeted that "We are demanding immediate elections as that is the only way forward -- to let the people decide, through fair & free elections, whom they want as their prime minister."
We are demanding immediate elections as that is the only way forward -- to let the people decide, through fair & free elections, whom they want as their prime minister.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 11, 2022
He also announced that on Wednesday he will be holding a public gathering (jalsa) "in Peshawar after Isha – my first jalsa after being removed through a foreign-instigated regime change."
"I want all our people to come, as Pakistan was created as an independent, sovereign state not as a puppet state of foreign powers," Khan added.
It is noteworthy that Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf (PTI) supporters took to the streets at Lahore's Liberty Chowk against the ouster of Khan.
On April 3, the Pakistani parliament initiated a no-confidence vote to remove Khan from office, however, the move was rejected and deemed unconstitutional.
Khan then asked the president to dissolve the parliament, but the decision to reject the no-confidence vote was challenged by the Pakistani opposition in court.
Consequently, the Supreme Court ruled that the no-confidence vote would take place, as Khan considered the move to topple him as an "attempt to change the regime by support from the United States."
