With a No-Confidence Vote in Sight, Are Pakistan PM Imran Khan's Days Numbered?

Pakistan Opposition is confident that it can garner the support of 172 members in the House of 342 to oust Khan.

Image used for representation only.

(Photo:  Chetan Bhakuni/The Quint)

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan is facing the biggest threat to his political career – a unified Opposition coalition and a vote of no confidence in the National Assembly on 31 March.

The political temperature in the country has been on the rise since 8 March, when Opposition parties submitted the no-confidence motion against Khan, alleging that he was responsible for the country's economic crisis and spiralling inflation.

While the Opposition is confident that it can garner the support of 172 members in the House of 342 to oust Khan, the other side claims that it enjoys the required support to foil any attempts of such a vote.

And in a massive show of strength ahead of the crucial motion against his government, Khan, on 27 March, had held a mammoth rally in Islamabad, which was purportedly attended by tens of thousands of people. In a marathon speech, which lasted more than 90 minutes, he claimed that "foreign powers were involved in a conspiracy" to topple his government. He further alleged that he had a "letter" to prove the same.

But under all the claims and counterclaims lies the silence of the powerful and influential powerful Pakistan army. The military, which stood behind Khan in 2018, has so far has conveyed to him that it is "neutral" in the unfolding political slugfest, suggesting that it has withdrawn its support for Khan.

So the big question: are Imran Khan's days as PM numbered? In this episode, we break down the factors that led to the no-confidence motion, explore how it may possibly play out, and how it will impact the frozen India-Pakistan relations.

Joining me today to discuss this is Sameer Patil, Senior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a global policy think tank.