Pakistan PM calls his political rivals weak, corrupt and traitors

Staring at a noconfidence motion in parliament, Pakistan PM Imran Khan has launched a tirade against his political rivals. He has been particularly scathing in his attacks on Nawaz Sharif’s PML(N), calling the former PM a “geedar” or jackal, and also inveighed against his brother and party president Shehbaz Sharif as well as vice-president Maryam Nawaz.

“The absconder and his daughter say bad things about the army and Shehbaz polishes every boot he sees,” he said at a rally. Maryam was quick to respond that Khan’s “game is over”. Khan called his three political rivals — Shehbaz, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari of PPP and Pakistan Democratic Alliance chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman — corrupt, weak and traitors.

Along-term CM of Punjab before he became a parliamentarian, Shehbaz is the leader of opposition in the National Assembly. He became PML(N) president after elder brother Nawaz was disqualified from holding office. Sources said chiefs of opposition parties have agreed to elect Shehbaz as the next PM. Days ahead of the vote, Khan announced a public rally outside the parliament on March 27 and vowed that his supporters would stay until the day of voting.


The opposition responded by announcing a march in Islamabad on March 25 and a sit-in to counter Khan’s supporters. While his rivals blame him for bad governance and economic incompetence, political observers believe Khan has lost the backing of the military establishment responsible for bringing him to power. He met army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday—seen as an attempt to get back in the good books of the military. The military has so far adopted a neutral stand. Last year, the gap between Khan and the military widened because of his reluctance to change the ISI chief.

Khan, 69, came to power in 2018 with the slimmest majority of 176 votes in the parliament. PTI has 155 members and needs at least 172 to remain in power. The party has the support of 23 members from six political parties. Defections from PTI had made matters worse as these members have threatened to vote against Khan. His government filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Monday seeking clarification on Article 63-A of the Constitution regarding disqualification of nearly two dozen dissident PTI MPs whose votes are crucial for the opposition as it needs 172 votes to remove Khan. The article says anyone voting against the party leader’s directive on key points will be disqualified.

Khan has also been trying to cultivate a narrative that a no-trust move was a western conspiracydue to his independent foreign policy approach.