Pakistan parliament dissolved as Khan avoids no-confidence move

Pakistan's president dissolved parliament yesterday, setting the stage for early elections after prime minister Imran Khan sidestepped a no-confidence move earlier in the day.

Mr Khan asked president Arif Alvi to dissolve the national assembly, or law-making lower house of parliament, accusing his rivals of working with the US to overthrow his government.

Pakistan's constitution calls for the establishment of an interim government to see the country toward elections, which are to be held within 90 days.

Mr Khan's political opponents called the decision by the deputy speaker to throw out their no-confidence resolution illegal and vowed to go to the supreme court.

The battle between the cricket star turned conservative Islamic leader and his rivals has mired the nation in turmoil.

The developments came after information minister Fawad Chaudhry accused the opposition of colluding with a "foreign power" to stage a "regime change",

Mr Khan said: "I ask people to prepare for the next elections. Thank God, a conspiracy to topple the government has failed."

The opposition arrived in Parliament ready to vote Mr Khan out. It needed a simple majority in the 342-seat parliament to unseat him. Mr Khan's small but key coalition partners, along with 17 members of his own party, joined the opposition to oust him.

The no-confidence vote had been expected some time after parliament convened but rules allow for three to seven days of debate. The opposition had said it had the numbers for an immediate vote.

Giant metal containers blocked roads and entrances to the capital's diplomatic enclave and to parliament and other sensitive government installations in the capital. A defiant Mr Khan called for supporters to demonstrate against the vote.

He says the US wants him gone over his foreign policy choices that often favour China and Russia.

He has also been a strident opponent of America's war on terror.

Mr Khan has circulated a memo which he insists provides proof that Washington conspired with Pakistan's opposition to unseat him because America wants "me, personally, gone ... and everything would be forgiven".

A loss for Mr Khan would have given his opponents the opportunity to form a new government and rule until elections, which had been scheduled to be held next year.

Residents of Pakistan's largest province, Punjab, were set to vote for a new chief minister yesterday. Mr Khan's choice faced a tough challenge and his opponents claimed they had enough votes to install their choice.

With 60 per cent of Pakistan's 220 million people living in Punjab, it is considered the most powerful of the country's four provinces.

Also yesterday, the government announced the dismissal of the provincial governor, whose role is largely ceremonial and is chosen by the federal government.

But it further deepened the turmoil in Pakistan.