Hundreds of thousands of supporters of Imran Khan staged massive protests across dozen cities in Pakistan, a day after Khan’s unceremonious exit from power, in what appears a show of strength just ahead of the selection of a new prime minister in parliament Monday. Shahbaaz Sharif, the president of the PML-N, who has filed the nomination for the top job on Sunday, is all set to be the country’s next prime minister. 

Having been ousted from power after parliament adopted a no-confidence motion against Khan late at night on Sunday, Khan’s parties asked his supporters to protest against the formation of a new government, terming it as an “imported government”, implying support from foreign powers. 

Significantly, Khan had blamed "foreign conspiracy" behind the fall of his government, and maintained the allegation on Sunday, calling upon his protesters to begin in what he said was a “freedom struggle” against the “foreign conspiracy of regime change.”

“Pakistan became an independent state in 1947; but the freedom struggle begins again today against a foreign conspiracy of regime change. It is always the people of the country who defend their sovereignty & democracy,” Khan said in a tweet. 

Several major cities, including Karachi, Peshawar, Islamabad, and Lahore saw huge demonstrations at short notice, indicating the former prime minister continues to enjoy enough street power that could make things hard for the incoming government.

“These mass mobilizations of Imran Khan supporters will be fueled by a narrative around the new govt being a bunch of traitors and US-backed provocateurs that ousted Khan,” Michael Kugelman, a South Asia analyst at the Wilson Center, a US think tank, said in a tweet. 

“Pakistan’s political environment in the weeks ahead will be partisanship and polarization on steroids,” he said. 
 
Significantly, Fawad Chaudhary, a former cabinet minister in Khan’s government, said that the former minister will lead this mass movement. Not doing so, he added, would amount to a “betrayal to the country’s politics and Constitution.” 

Lawmakers on Monday will elect a new prime minister in the Parliament. Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the former foreign minister from Khan’s party, and former opposition leader Shahbaaz Sharif have filed their nominations. Sharif, as a joint candidate of several parties opposed to the PTI, is set for an easy victory. 

(SAM)