By Asif Shahzad

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan was expelled on Sunday following a no confidence vote in Parliament. This marked the end of a period that saw a declining economy, and indications that he had lost trust with the military.

Many Pakistanis were growing frustrated by high inflation and rising deficits, as well as the belief that Khan failed to fulfill his election promises about ending corruption.

However, it is not likely that he will disappear completely from politics.

One ally called this a judicial coup. Khan stated that Khan would fight until the very end.

He joins the long list of Pakistani elected premiers, aged 69 years old, who fail to meet their full terms.

The cricket icon who won Pakistan its first World Cup in 1992 rallied Pakistan behind his vision for a corrupt-free and prosperous nation that is respected worldwide.

The charismatic and fiery nationalist was not enough to make him stay in power.

Ironically, his demise comes as a result of falling relations with General Qamar Javed Baswa, a politician once accused of being controlled by the powerful military establishment.

Pakistan has a significant military presence. They have ruled Pakistan for more than half of their history.

Khan, who was fighting for his survival in politics last month at a rally, was widely believed to have been referring to this position by saying: “Only animal remain neutral.”

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, an opposition leader who was also a former Prime Minister said that the military doesn’t wish to be seen supporting Abbasi and blamed for his failings. They have withdrew their support.”

LOFTY PROMISES

Khan is charismatic and handsome. He was first noticed by the public in 1970 as an aggressive, fast-paced bowler who had a unique leaping motion.

His success was a testament to his determination to be a world-class all-rounder and to the heroism of Pakistan cricket. He also led a group of stray stars to win in Pakistan in 1992.

He retired from cricket in that same year and became well-known for his generosity. In 1995, he established the Tehreek-iInsaf, or Pakistan Movement for Justice, party.

The PTI, despite its fame, languished in Pakistan’s political wilderness. It did not win a seat except Khan’s for 17 year.

However, this period was not without its drama. Khan was able to escape house arrest in 2007 after he jumped over a wall during a crackdown by General Pervez Musharraf, a former military ruler.

Khan attracted huge numbers of Pakistani youth disillusioned by endemic corruption, electricity scarcity and education crisis.

His popularity grew even further over the following years as more Pakistani-educated expatriates left their jobs to join his party, and musicians and actors from Pakistan joined him on the campaign trail.

Khan stated that his goal was to transform Pakistan, which he told hundreds of thousands of supporters in 2018, from a country of a small group of wealthy people and a sea full of poor, into a model for an Islamic welfare system for the rest of the world.

He was finally victorious that year, marking an uncommon ascension of a sports hero to the top of politics. However, observers cautioned that his greatest enemy was his rhetoric. He had raised the hopes of his supporters.

PLAYBOY TO REFORMER

Imran Ahmed Khan Nazizi, a son of civil engineers, was born in 1952. His mother, Imran, described him as shy and grew up in Lahore (Pakistan’s second largest city) with his four sisters.

He received a privilege education in Lahore during which he was able to play cricket well. After that, he attended Oxford University where he earned a degree both in philosophy and politics.

His cricket career was successful and he earned a reputation as a playboy in London during the 1970s.

He married Jemima Goldsmith in 1995. She was the daughter of James Goldsmith, a business tycoon. They had two children together and divorced in 2004. Reham Nayyar Khan, a TV journalist, also had a brief relationship that ended in divorce.

Bushra Bibi was Khan’s spiritual guide and he had met him during his visit to Pakistan in 13th century. Their third marriage reflected Khan’s growing interest in Sufism. It is a type of Islamic faith that stresses spiritual intimacy with God.

Khan was elected to power and began his plans for a welfare state based on the ideal Islamic system of 14 centuries ago.

His government appointed a large number of important people based on their qualifications, and not politics. It also sought to reform the hiring process in civil and bureaucratic services.

Others included making it easier to file complaints, and introducing universal healthcare to the poor in one provincial. Plans are to extend the program nationally. To reverse the decades-old decline in forest cover, the government started a program to plant 10 million trees.

Khan did a major U-turn and secured an IMF bailout to Pakistan. He also set ambitious, but unmet, goals to increase tax collection.

However, his anti-corruption campaign was widely criticized as an instrument for marginalizing political opponents. Many of them were in prison on charges of corruption.

Pakistan’s Generals were still powerful, and more than one dozen civil institutions were commanded by retired and active military officers.