Local police officials put the number of participants at 20,000.
Islamabad:
Thousands of Pakistanis gathered in the capital Islamabad on Sunday to demonstrate in support of the country’s so-called Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is facing a vote of no confidence in parliament.
The former ticket star has been accused by the opposition of mismanaging the economy and foreign policy in the most serious challenge to his leadership since coming to power in 2018.
Political analysts say Mr Khan has lost the key support of the country’s powerful military, while some MPs from his ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party have said they will dig pipe.
Speaking ahead of a rally attended by supporters from across the country, Prime Minister Khan declared he was the subject of a “foreign plot” to overthrow his government and “the source of funding”. being shipped into Pakistan from abroad”.
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Testimonials of @Asad_Umar and @FaisalJavedKhan after watching Epic Jalsa Crowd from the main stage! #IamImranKhanpic.twitter.com/14Lbg9mCIp
– PTI (@PTIofficial) March 27, 2022
“We have been threatened in writing but we will not compromise the national interest,” he said, without giving evidence or details.
Local police officials put the number of participants at 20,000.
Local police officials put the number of participants at 20,000.
There is a tight security presence in the capital, with opposition parties also planning protests in the city next week.
Khan was elected after promising to wipe out the corruption and cronyism that had entrenched decades, but the opposition accused him of organizing a witch hunt against his opponents.
Elected by a electorate weary of the two-party dynasties that have dominated Pakistani politics since independence, he has struggled to maintain support, with soaring inflation, a weak rupee and debt piled up.
A motion of no confidence has been introduced in the country’s parliament, with days of debate expected to begin next week before the vote.
The opposition needs a simple majority to oust Prime Minister Khan, after which a new prime minister will be chosen by parliament.
However, the horse trade is common in Pakistani politics and the insurgents are likely to be back to the way they were.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
