Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: Four fetuses and three premature babies died at Nasser Medical Complex due to malnutrition
Lebanese Ministry of Health: One person was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a car in the town of Burj Qalawieh, south Lebanon.
Al Mayadeen correspondent: The first ship of the Maghreb fleet delivering aid to break the siege on Gaza departs from the port of Gammarth in Tunisia.
Channel 12: Airspace closed at Ramon Airport due to fears of drone infiltration
IOF Spokesperson: Sirens sounded over an aircraft infiltration in the Bir Ora area, and details are being examined
Drone infiltration sirens sound north of the Gulf of Aqaba
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: The Israeli occupation carried out five extremely violent raids on the western areas of Gaza City
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: The Israeli occupation carried out major bombings in the Gaza Strip, the most violent since October 7
Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree: The missile force carried out a major operation using the Palestine 2 ballistic hypersonic missile, hitting several targets in occupied Yafa.
Sirens sound in large areas of occupied Palestine after a missile launch from Yemen was detected

Pakistan parliament to dissolve for elections excluding ex-PM Khan

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 9 Aug 2023 18:46
4 Min Read

Pakistan has experienced significant political unrest since the removal of Imran Khan from his position of authority in April of the previous year.

  • x
  • Pakistan parliament dissolves for election minus ex-PM Khan
    In this file photo taken on September 24, 2019, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan speaks during a press conference at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. (AFP)

Pakistan's parliament was scheduled to be dissolved on Wednesday, paving the way for an interim government to be selected for supervising an upcoming election.

Notably absent from this election will be Imran Khan, the country's most widely supported politician. Pakistan has experienced significant political unrest since the removal of Khan from his position of authority in April of the previous year.

This situation reached its climax as he was imprisoned for alleged graft over the weekend, following an extensive crackdown on his political party that had been ongoing for months.

"In the past 16 months, our government tried its best to improve the situation and served the nation with full conviction," outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in his last address to the cabinet. 

"This country can’t progress until we have national unity," he said.

According to the constitution, the announcement of the new interim Prime Minister must occur within three days after the dissolution of parliament. Although the law dictates that elections should take place within 90 days of parliament's dissolution, the departing government has cautioned that a delay is probable.

In an unusual collaboration, the typically conflicting dynastic parties of Pakistan, which united to remove Khan from power, have garnered limited popular support while governing the world's fifth-most populous nation. Meanwhile, the country's economy remains sluggish. This is due to substantial foreign debt, a sharp rise in inflation, and widespread unemployment due to factories being inactive, as they lack the foreign currency required to purchase raw materials.

Related News

Imran Khan supporters, MPs detained on 2nd jail anniversary

Imran Khan, wife sentenced to 14 years in alleged land corruption case

"Economic decisions are invariably tough and often unpopular, requiring a government with a longer tenure to effectively implement them," said Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, president of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency think tank.

"This election holds significance as it will result in a five-year term for a new government, which ideally should be empowered to make essential decisions vital for economic recovery."

Uncertainty looms over election date amidst Pakistan's multifaceted challenges

For several months, there has been speculation about the possibility of delaying elections as the country's establishment grapples with multiple crises encompassing security, economic, and political challenges. The latest census data, conducted in May, were recently published, prompting the government to state that the election commission requires time to redefine constituency boundaries—an issue of contention for various political parties.

Michael Kugelman, who directs the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, said as quoted by AFP that a potential delay might offer the primary coalition partners, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), an opportunity to strategize on addressing the challenge posed by Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. However, Kugelman also noted that such a delay could potentially fuel public discontent and energize an opposition that has already endured months of crackdowns.

Beneath the surface of any election in Pakistan, the influence of the military looms. Since the country's inception through the partition of India in 1947, the military has successfully executed at least three coups. Imran Khan initially enjoyed substantial and widespread support upon assuming power in 2018, reportedly with the backing of Pakistan's influential generals. However, his relationship with the military soured in the months leading up to his removal. Subsequently, Khan embarked on a daring campaign of defiance, accusing the military of interfering in politics and even identifying an intelligence officer as being involved in a November assassination attempt.

 A rigorous response to the situation

Imran Khan, who has faced over 200 legal cases recently, asserts that these charges are politically driven, aimed at obstructing his participation in elections. His initial arrest and short detention in May led to several days of occasionally violent protests, marked by an unprecedented level of anger directed toward the military.

The authorities responded with a severe crackdown that effectively quelled his street influence. Numerous of his supporters were apprehended, with some still held in custody to face military tribunals, while a majority of the party's leaders were arrested or went into hiding. Anticipated to be primarily composed of technocrats, the interim government will confront a challenging undertaking.

Read next: Khan receives maximum sentence, barred from politics for five years

  • Imran Khan
  • Pakistan
  • Pakistani Army
  • elections

Most Read

The damaged building in the Katara neighborhood, Doha, Qatar, September 9, 2025 (Social media)

Hamas delegation survives Israeli assassination attempt in Qatar

  • Politics
  • 9 Sep 2025
Israeli police and rescue teams respond at the scene of a shooting attack where several people killed and injured in Jerusalem, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025 (AP)

Al-Quds shooting: 7 settlers killed, several critically injured

  • Politics
  • 8 Sep 2025
Pro-"Israel" conservative Charlie Kirk shot during Utah speech

Pro-'Israel' far-right Charlie Kirk shot dead during Utah speech

  • US & Canada
  • 11 Sep 2025
Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza.

Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza

  • Politics
  • 12 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
People protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York, on Friday, September 27, 2024 (AP)
Politics

'Israel' stops unfunded diplomacy ahead of UN, October 7 memorial

An Israeli Air Force fighter jet releases flares over the Gaza Strip, is seen from southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, May 8, 2025 (AP)
Politics

OIC summit draft: Israeli attack on Qatar risks normalization

People shout slogans and hold Palestinian flags while protesting during the twenty-first stage of La Vuelta cycling race from Alalpardo to Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. (AP)
Sports

Pro-Palestine protests force abrupt end to Vuelta a España finale

Damage is seen after an Israeli strike targeted a compound that hosted Hamas' political leadership in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday, September 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Israeli regime faces growing isolation over Qatar strike: Reports

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS