Supporters of Pakistan’s ousted prime minister stage nationwide protests

By Muhammet Nazım Tasci

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AA) – Thousands of supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party took to the streets in several cities across the country Sunday to protest his ouster in a no-confidence vote in parliament.

According to local media, protests were staged in the capital Islamabad and many other cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Multan on the call of Khan as the leader of the center-right party.

In Islamabad, many people formed a convoy with their vehicles. The demonstrators, holding Pakistani and PTI flags, chanted slogans in support of Khan and also reacted to the rival parties that ensured his dismissal.

“Thank you to all Pakistanis for their amazing outpouring of support & emotions to protest against US-backed regime change abetted by local Mir Jafars to bring into power a coterie of pliable crooks all out on bail. Shows Pakistanis at home & abroad have emphatically rejected this,” Khan said on Twitter.

Khan was ousted from power early Sunday after losing a no-confidence vote on his leadership.

A total of 174 lawmakers voted in favor of the no-trust motion, two more than the required 172 for a simple majority in the 324-member National Assembly, the lower house of parliament.

It marks the first time a Pakistani prime minister has been ousted in a no-confidence motion put forward by the opposition.

Pakistan’s parliament will elect a new prime minister Monday.

Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, is the candidate of the combined opposition.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan