From Cricket Field to Political Rallies: Imran Khan’s Journey as Pakistan’s PM
The Lion of Pakistan on the Field
Imran Khan, the iconic Pakistani cricketer, enjoyed a remarkable career. Known for his exceptional all-round skills, he captained the national team to their first-ever Cricket World Cup victory in 1992. Renowned for his fast bowling and elegant batting, Khan amassed 3,807 runs and took 362 wickets in Test matches, making him one of the most successful all-rounders of his era. His leadership skills and charisma earned him respect on and off the field, culminating in his successful political transition, where he became the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2018.
From holding the bat to sitting on the throne
He transitioned into politics after his illustrious cricket career. His foray into the political arena began in 1996 when he founded the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to create a just and corruption-free society. Khan actively campaigned and participated in elections over the years, striving to bring about meaningful change in Pakistan’s political landscape. His perseverance paid off when PTI emerged as the second-largest party in the 2013 general elections. Finally, on August 18, 2018, Imran Khan was sworn in as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan, marking the pinnacle of his political journey.
The beginning of the downfall:
Things took a turn south in March 2022 when the National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar immediately adjourned the session till 28 March 2022 in accordance with the parliamentary convention. After 161 lawmakers had voted in favour of tabling of the resolution, Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif tabled the no-confidence motion against Khan.
Subsequently, the deputy speaker adjourned the session until 4:00 pm on 31 March. The National Assembly session to debate the no-confidence motion against Khan was adjourned till 11:30 am on 3 April 2022, minutes after it began. National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri dismissed the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan, stating that it was against Article 5 of the Constitution which pledges “loyalty to the State”. Suri cited “foreign interference” in his ruling to dismiss the motion.
A meeting of the National Assembly was called and held around 12:00 pm. During the day, the session was adjourned thrice amid filibustering by members of the treasury benches. Thus, the no-confidence motion was not immediately put to vote in the National Assembly.
Minutes before midnight, Speaker Asad Qaiser resigned from his position. Moments before midnight, Ayaz Sadiq laid out the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly. At midnight, the National Assembly was adjourned to meet at 12:02 AM on 10 April 2022.
The rise of the next in line:
On 11 April 2022, the National Assembly held an election to decide the new prime minister. The outgoing ruling party PTI initially nominated former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi for the position. However, moments before the vote, the party staged a mass walkout of the Assembly in protest at what Qureshi claimed was an ‘imported government’. Shehbaz Sharif, former Chief Minister of Punjab and brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was elected unopposed.
