Pakistan’s president dissolved Parliament on Sunday setting the stage for early elections after the prime minister sidestepped a no-confidence move earlier in the day.
Imran Khan asked President Arif Alvi to dissolve the National Assembly, or law-making lower house of Parliament, accusing his political opposition of working with the United States to overthrow his government.
Pakistan’s constitution calls for the establishment of an interim government to see the country toward elections, which are to be held within 90 days. According to the constitution, the interim government is to be established with input from the opposition.
Khan’s political opponents have called a decision by the Parliament’s deputy speaker to throw out their no-confidence resolution illegal and vowed to go to the Supreme Court.
The battle between Khan, a cricket star turned conservative Islamic leader, and his political opposition has mired the nation in political turmoil.
The deputy speaker threw out the opposition’s no-confidence resolution after Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry accused the opposition of colluding with a foreign power to stage a “regime change.”
Khan, who was not in Parliament, went on national television to say he would ask Pakistan’s president to dissolve the body and hold elections.
“I ask people to prepare for the next elections. Thank God, a conspiracy to topple the government has failed,” Khan said in his address.