Lawmakers vote to oust defiant prime minister

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s political opposition ousted the country’s embattled prime minister early Sunday in a no confidence vote, which they won after several of Imran Khan’s allies and a key coalition party deserted him.

The combined opposition that spans the political spectrum from the left to the radically religious will form a new government, with the head of one of the largest parties, the Pakistani Muslim League, taking over as prime minister.

Anticipating his loss, Khan, who charged his opposition colluded with the United States to unseat him, has called on his supporters to stage rallies nationwide on Sunday. Khan’s options are limited, but should he see a big turnout in his support, he may try to keep the momentum of street protests as a way to pressure Parliament to hold early elections.

Khan earlier had tried to sidestep the vote by dissolving Parliament and calling early elections, but the Supreme Court ordered the vote to go ahead.

In an impassioned speech Friday, Khan doubled down on his accusations that his opponents colluded with the United States to unseat him over his foreign policy choices, which often seemed to favor China and Russia and defied the U.S. Khan said Washington opposed his Feb. 24 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin hours after tanks rolled into Ukraine, beginning a devastating war in the heart of Europe.

The U.S. State Department has denied any involvement in Pakistan’s internal politics. Deputy State Department spokeswoman Jalina Porter told reporters on Friday there was “absolutely no truth to these allegations.”

Still, Khan urged his supporters to take to the streets, particularly the youth who have been the backbone of his support since the former cricket star turned conservative Islamist politician came to power in 2018. He said they needed to protect Pakistan’s sovereignty and oppose U.S. dictations.

“You have to come out to protect your own future. It is you who have to protect your democracy . ... This is your duty,” he said. “I will not accept an imposed government.”

The no-confidence vote loss for Khan may bring to power some unlikely figures. Among them is a party that runs scores of religious schools. The Jamiat-e-Ulema-Islam, or Assembly of Clerics, teaches a deeply conservative brand of Islam in its schools. Many of Afghanistan’s Taliban and Pakistan’s own homegrown Taliban graduated from JUI schools.

Anjum Naveed / Associated Press Police officers assemble outside the National Assembly in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, to ensure security. Embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for national protests Sunday.