Following an effort to depose Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan’s president has dismissed parliament, paving the way for early elections.
It comes after the deputy speaker of parliament refused to convene a vote of no confidence which the PM was anticipated to lose.
Mr Khan alleges that the US is orchestrating a plot to depose him as a result of his criticism of US policies and other foreign policy decisions.
The allegation has been mocked by opposition lawmakers, and the US has refuted it.
Imran Khan travelled to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the country prepared to invade Ukraine. Khan has previously criticised America’s “War on Terror.”
His political opponents seized the opportunity to demand the no-confidence vote after persuading a number of his coalition partners to defect to them.
On Sunday, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry told MPs that Pakistani officials had been told of “an operation for a regime change by a foreign government”.
This, he said, went against the constitution and the deputy speaker chairing the session – a close ally of the prime minister – proceeded to declare the vote unconstitutional.
The opposition are furious.
They have filed a petition to the country’s Supreme Court, which is assessing whether the decision not allow a vote of no-confidence against the prime minister is valid.
Heavy security has been deployed around government buildings and across the capital, Islamabad.