Umm Muhammed Umar

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government fell in the early hours of Sunday. The 70-year-old brother of Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, had led a bid by the opposition in parliament to topple Khan. Arab News reports that incumbent Khan, had lost a no-confidence vote in parliament, after nearly four years in power.

Shehbaz Sharif has now submitted to the legislature his nomination to be Pakistan’s next prime minister. According to Arab News, he is widely expected to replace Khan, following a vote on Monday.

Khan was the first Pakistan prime minister to be ousted by a no confidence vote. Nevertheless, he had managed to hold onto power for almost a week after a united opposition attempted to remove him. He had delayed the vote by dissolving parliament, and asserted that there was a foreign-backed plot against him. Khan had recently accused the United States of being behind the attempt to oust him, an accusation which Washington has dismissed.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ordered parliament to convene and vote. The vote was reportedly only able to go ahead after influential army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, met with Khan. According to Arab News, Pakistan had been ruled by its military for almost half of its nearly 75-year history. Opposition parties secured 174 votes in the 342-member house for the no-confidence motion.

While Khan has not commented publicly on his ouster, in an address to the nation on Friday, he said, “I tell all of my supporters across Pakistan, on Sunday, after Isha (evening) prayers, you all have to come out of your homes and protest peacefully against this imported government that is trying to come to power.”