IRIA News

Millions of Pakistanis turned out on the streets as simultaneous protests were held in multiple cities across the country to show their support for Imran Khan who was ousted from the prime minister’s office in a bizarre way after dramatic developments throughout the last week.

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Khan lost the vote of confidence as several allies in the ruling coalition deserted him ahead of the crucial voting in the parliament.

Countrywide protests in support of Khan

As the 174 politicians voted Khan out of office, the people of Pakistan came out on the streets to show solidarity with Khan, demanding that they want him back as prime minister.

Protestors carried green and red flags of Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and peacefully protested against what they described as the prime minister’s “forceful ouster” claim as part of a “foreign regime change” in Pakistan. “We do not want the old corrupted politicians to rule this country” they chanted.

The youth, that makes up the majority of Imran Khan’s supporters in Pakistan, dominated the crowds in numbers. During the protest, Khan’s supporters chanted slogans and carried placards in favor of the former prime minister and against the ‘foreign conspiracy’ that read, “No to imported government” and “Any friends of America is a traitor”.

Massive demonstrations were held in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta, and other cities after Khan was removed from office.

In the capital city of Islamabad, thousands of protesters jammed main highways as they gathered rallies to show their support for the ousted prime minister.

A visibly charged crowd took to the streets, holding placards reading “imported government is unacceptable’ and chanting, “Who will save Pakistan? Imran Khan, Imran Khan.”

The opposition leaders had predicted that people would not come out on the streets during the month of Ramadan, adding that Imran Khan had lost support. “This is the first time I am attending any political rally. I have had no political affiliation in the past. But I am out here for Imran Khan today for the future of my kids” Wajih Uddin, a citizen of Islamabad city, told IRIA. Several other videos posted on social media also showed that the common people and those disenchanted with politics are also getting more politically active.

Surprisingly, the country’s mainstream media did not cover the biggest demonstration after the ouster of Khan from office and the new prime minister set to take oath on Monday. However, social media in Pakistan was buzzing with photos and videos of rallies across the country.

Never have such crowds come out so spontaneously and in such numbers in our history, rejecting the imported govt led by crooks. pic.twitter.com/YWrvD1u8MM

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 10, 2022

Khan did not appear in person at any rally, but he sent out tweets expressing gratitude to Pakistanis at home and abroad. “Never have such crowds come out so spontaneously and in such numbers in our history, rejecting the imported govt led by crooks. Opposition parties secured 174 votes in the 342-member house for the no-confidence motion, giving them the majority they needed to enable a vote to elect a new premier.

Pakistan’s former prime minister earlier tweeted that today marked the beginning of a “freedom struggle” against what he called a “foreign conspiracy of regime change”. In an attempt to galvanize his supporters, he said “it is always the people who protected their own sovereignty and democracy.”

Imran Khan’s opponents blamed him for mismanaging the economy and foreign policy but public support has been rising in his favor over the last two weeks.

Protests by Pakistani Expats

Thousands of overseas Pakistanis also recorded their protest against Khan’s ouster by organizing demonstrations in the UK, Australia, UAE, and Spain. In London, hundreds of protesters gathered in Hyde Park and outside the house of former prime minister Nawaz Shareef as they pledged to oppose the ‘imported government that is being instated in Pakistan through an organized foreign conspiracy.’ Hundreds of Pakistanis residing abroad said they would not send back remittances until Khan was reinstated as prime minister.

Khan ousted from office

No prime minister has completed a full five-year tenure in Pakistan’s 75-year history. The tenure of Imran Khan’s government was three years and seven months.

Imran Khan is the first Pakistani prime minister to be ousted by a no-confidence vote that was delayed several times by the government, calling attention to “horse-trading” and urging to investigate a document that it said proved the “nexus of no-confidence motion” with foreign conspiracy. The voting was held at midnight on April 10 in which the opposition parties secured 174 votes in the 342-seat assembly in support of the no-confidence motion that the country’s top court had ruled must be held on April 10.

However, Khan has repeatedly indicated he will not give up the fight. He alleges to be the victim of a US-led conspiracy in which local people were also involved to remove his government which was pursuing an “independent foreign policy” and had an anti-Western tilt including criticism of America’s war in Afghanistan and his balanced foreign policy and further bolstering ties with Russia and China. Khan has been a vocal critic of the U.S.’s post 9/11 war on terror in Afghanistan and Iraq. Khan claimed that the U.S. had been conspiring against his government, especially after his visit to Russia and meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, the same day when Russia began the war in Ukraine.

ALSO READ: Khan accuses the US of plotting against his government to oust him

In response to Khan’s allegation, the senior United States officials rejected the charges of intervening in Pakistan’s internal matters. U.S. Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said that “When it comes to these allegations, there is no truth to them. We are closely following developments in Pakistan. We respect and support Pakistan’s constitutional process and the rule of law.”

On April 11, Shehbaz Sharif took oath as the 23rd prime minister of Pakistan. The 70-year-old leader is the younger brother of the former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif who left Pakistan on medical grounds to reside in London and to avoid his time in jail after he was convicted in corruption cases. Shehbaz Sharif heads a diverse coalition of opposition parties and former government allies.