Pakistan: Imran Khan to seek court ruling over defections, faces revolt

In Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan's government will petition Pakistan's Supreme Court to seek a ruling on whether defectors from his party could lose their seats ahead of a no-confidence vote against him, his interior minister said on Friday. Interior minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad told a news conference it had been decided to seek the Supreme Court's ruling about whether the defectors are eligible to cast a vote after switching sides. Ahmad said the decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Khan. The threat of political turmoil in Pakistan is growing as the opposition seeks to oust Khan in a vote that could come as soon as this month. Several of Khan's lawmakers withdrew their support for him on Thursday, stoking more uncertainty over whether the former cricket star can hang on to power, following a warning by a key ally that the premier could lose his coalition partners.

Around 100 lawmakers from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) submitted a no-confidence motion before the National Assembly Secretariat on March 8, alleging that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf government led by Khan was responsible for the economic crisis and the spiralling inflation in the country. The National Assembly session for the move is expected to be convened on March 21 and the voting is likely to be held on March 28. The real shocker for Khan came on Thursday when it emerged that about 24 lawmakers from his own party were ready to part ways to join the push to topple his government.

Khan is heading a coalition government and he can be removed if some of the partners decide to switch sides. In the 342-member National Assembly, the Opposition needs 272 votes to remove Khan, the cricketer-turned-politician. The PTI has 155 members in the House and needs at least 172 lawmakers on its side to remain in the government. The party has the support of 23 members belonging to at least six political parties. Khan's PTI party came to power in 2018 and the next general election is scheduled to be held in 2023.