LAHORE: On the one-year anniversary of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ouster through a vote of no confidence on April 9, 2022, Pakistani political figures had mixed reactions. While PTI leaders called it a “black day,” individuals linked to the current government celebrated “topping the one-page regime.”
The PTI’s ouster came after the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – a coalition government comprising the PPP, PML-N, and JUI-F – successfully moved a no-confidence motion against Khan in February 2022. During the 12-hour-long National Assembly session, the opposition’s no-trust motion garnered 174 votes in its favour, ending Khan’s prime ministerial term.
Following his ouster, Khan launched the “Haqeeqi Azaadi” movement – his “jihad” against injustice – and vowed to throng the streets if the government attempted to “run away” from the elections by “dividing the judiciary.”
In his address marking one year since his ouster, Imran Khan lambasted the current government’s policies and decisions, particularly regarding the economy and terrorism. He also criticised the government for allegedly cracking down on PTI workers and creating disagreements and division between the Supreme Court judges.
According to Imran, the current government has not faced a challenge as severe as the coronavirus pandemic during his own tenure. He also discussed the declining state of the economy, noting that the value of the rupee has dropped over Rs100 since his government was ousted.
The PTI chief also mentioned that a 10% decrease in exports could cause issues in the supply of US dollars. Imran highlighted his government’s success in handling terrorism, citing the resumption of operations by airlines such as British Airways and an increase in tourism. Additionally, he claimed that the Parliament had become inactive due to the lack of opposition presence.
Meanwhile, the PTI’s official Twitter account shared a thread comparing the current government’s achievements with its own and decrying the alleged political victimization of its party workers.
