Pakistan’s political arena is in turmoil. Prime Minister Imran Khan, facing a no-confidence vote, made a last-ditch attempt to avoid his fate by dissolving Parliament altogether, alleging a foreign plot headed by the U.S. to oust him. The Supreme Court intervened, allowing the vote to proceed, but Khan and his PTI are refusing to recognize the new government. Most PTI lawmakers resigned, leaving Pakistan’s National Assembly with 100 open seats. Meanwhile, the Pakistani military, the “hidden hand” behind national politics, has attempted to remain neutral – but its lack of support helped crown Khan’s replacement.
How did Imran Khan go from his 2018 election victory to staring down a mutiny within his own party? What role has Pakistan’s military played throughout the crisis? And what implications will the chaos have on Pakistan’s diplomacy? In this webinar, recorded on April 20, three experts discuss the factors behind Pakistan’s political crisis and what comes next for the country.
Featuring Madiha Afzal, a fellow in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings in Washington, D.C.; Ayesha Siddiqa, a research associate at SOAS’ South Asia Institute in London; and Niloufer Siddiqui, an assistant professor of political science at the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, University at Albany-State University of New York; and moderated by Shannon Tiezzi, editor-in-chief at The Diplomat.