Fears of unrest in Pakistan as opposition continues campaign to oust Imran

The long-anticipated test match between the opposition and the treasury benches on the no-confidence motion is finally set to play out on Monday. The possibility of unrest on the roads on D-Day cannot be ruled out because the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has a track record of instigating violence during protests.

Though both sides are busy playing mind games, Friday’s session showed that the opposition was dead serious about showing its muscle as 159 out of the total 162 of the opposition members were present in the house. The show of strength was crucial as the opposition wanted to send a clear message that it wasn’t merely bluffing about the required numbers and the support of disgruntled members they have been trumpeting about.

The PPP is pressing the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) — a multi-party opposition alliance — to cancel its planned long march and public meeting in the capital on March 28 in response to the power show being organised by the ruling PTI ahead of the crucial vote on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The political turmoil comes as Pakistan faces a recurring economic crisis, and Khan’s government is banking on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to release the next tranche of a $6bn rescue package to shore up dwindling foreign currency reserves.

An IMF review that was scheduled for this week has yet to happen, and undermined by political uncertainty, the rupee remains under pressure, with the central bank’s foreign currency reserves having fallen to $14.9bn as of March 18.

Khan has filed a court petition seeking a lifetime ban on the defectors while also appealing to them to return to the ruling party.

He has also called on the public to show support for his premiership by holding a “million-man” rally in Islamabad on Sunday.

Opposition parties have announced they will also rally in support of the no-confidence vote.

With tension rising, the government deployed thousands of police around the parliament and other important offices on Thursday.

Pakistan’s next general election is due by late 2023 but interior minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad suggested at a news conference an election might be held early to defuse the looming confrontation.

No Pakistani prime minister has ever completed a full five-year term in office.