Pakistan’s Khan vows to fight on after court rules against him

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has vowed to fight on after the Supreme Court ruled he acted unconstitutionally in blocking an attempt to oust him.

Last Sunday, political allies of the former cricket star dissolved parliament to thwart an opposition no-confidence vote Khan had been expected to lose after coalition partners deserted him to rob him of a majority.

Khan said on Twitter late on Thursday he had called a cabinet meeting for Friday, after which he would address the nation.

He signalled his defiance with a cricketing term: “My message to our nation is I have always and will continue to fight for (Pakistan) till the last ball,” he said. 

Khan, who opposed the U.S.-led intervention in Afghanistan and has developed relations with Russia since he became prime minister in 2018, has accused the United States of supporting a plot to oust him. Washington dismissed the accusation, Reuters reported.

After the Supreme Court ruling, angry Khan supporters on the streets chanted anti-American slogans while opposition supporters nearby celebrated.

If Khan were to lose the no-confidence vote, the opposition could nominate its prime minister to govern until August 2023, by when a new election is due.

Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif, said after the court ruling that the opposition had nominated him to take over should Khan be ousted.