Pakistan's parliament abruptly adjourned before a planned vote on ousting Prime Minister Imran Khan and had not reconvened as scheduled on Saturday as political uncertainty continued to grip the country. Members of Khan's party had suggested on Friday they would try to delay the vote as much as possible. The cricket star turned politician has vowed to "struggle" against any move to replace him, the latest twist in a crisis that has threatened political and economic stability in the South Asian nation of 220 million people. Khan's allies had blocked a similar no-confidence vote last Sunday, but the country's Supreme Court ruled that move unconstitutional, ordering parliament to reconvene. Speaker Asad Qaiser, a Khan ally, said the session would resume at 12:30 p.m. (0730 GMT), but an hour after that there were no signs of parliament reconvening. Before the adjournment, opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, expected to become prime minister if Khan is ousted, addressed the assembly, urging Qaiser to ensure the vote was carried out as a matter of priority. The speaker said he would implement the court order "in true letter and spirit." Khan, 69, surged to power in 2018 with the military's support but recently lost his parliamentary majority when allies quit his coalition government. Opposition parties say he has failed to revive an economy battered by COVID-19 or fulfil promises to make Pakistan a corruption-free, prosperous nation respected on the world stage. The opposition and some analysts say Khan has fallen out with the military, a charge he and the military deny. The army has ruled the state for half its 75-year post-colonial history, and no prime minister has completed their full five-year term. — Agencies
