Pakistan's PM fights to stay in power as Supreme Court hears opposition challenge


Pakistan's Supreme Court heard a challenge from opposition politicians on Monday after Prime Minister Imran Khan dissolved parliament and called for new elections on Sunday in a bid to remain in power, BBC reported Monday.
Khan, a former cricket star who took office in 2018, faced a no-confidence vote on Sunday that he appeared likely to lose after several lawmakers from his own party turned against him. Instead, the deputy speaker of Pakistan's parliament blocked the vote, claiming it was unconstitutional, which gave Khan time to call for early elections in an attempt to shore up support.
Per BBC, the Supreme Court was originally expected to hand down its decision "by the end of Monday, but delayed the decision until Tuesday." The New York Times, however reported Monday that the "timeline for the court's ruling was not immediately clear" and that "analysts worried that a lengthy process could fuel uncertainty about the country's political future."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
On Saturday, Khan said he would not accept the results of the no-confidence vote if he lost and blamed the campaign to remove him from office on a "regime change" scheme orchestrated by the United States. According to the Times, the U.S. has denied any involvement.
Since the country gained independence in 1947, no Pakistani prime minister has completed a full five-year term.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
Jared and Ivanka's Albanian island
Under The Radar The deal to develop Sazan has been met with widespread opposition
-
Storm warning
Feature The U.S. is headed for an intense hurricane season. Will a shrunken FEMA and NOAA be able to respond?
-
U.S. v. Skrmetti: Did the trans rights movement overreach?
Feature The Supreme Court upholds a Tennessee law that bans transgender care for minors, dealing a blow to trans rights
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
Senate advances GOP bill that costs more, cuts more
Speed Read The bill would make giant cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, leaving 11.8 million fewer people with health coverage
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible
-
Supreme Court lets states ax Planned Parenthood funds
Speed Read The court ruled that Planned Parenthood cannot sue South Carolina over the state's effort to deny it funding
-
Trump plans Iran talks, insists nuke threat gone
Speed Read 'The war is done' and 'we destroyed the nuclear,' said President Trump