BetweenTheLines

Sameer Arshad Khatlani Follow  on Facebook I n the run-up to the no-confidence vote he faces this month , Pr ime Minister Imran Khan has hit out at the West and publicly criticized the European Union. His supporters have linked his refusal to allow the US to use Pakistan's territory or bases to the vote. Khan is widely expected to rally support for himself by relying on his refusal to play footsie with America unlike his predecessors to corner his rivals in case he is ousted from power. Many of his lawmakers have withdrawn support for him, raising questions about whether he can continue in power as he faces criticism over his economic and foreign policies.  Also Read |  Fourth-Year Itch: Will Imran Khan Complete His Term Khan has 155 seats in parliament's lower house. He needs the backing of coalition partners and dissidents for the support of 172 members of the House to complete his term and become the first Pakistani Prime Minister to do so. The opposition parties that have

Sameer Arshad Khatlani Follow  on Facebook A nother Pakistani prime minister appears to be facing an unceremonious removal from power. Pakistan's media has been abuzz with reports about a possible 'deal' between the country's military establishment and Prime Minister Imran Khan's opponents, including his arch-rival Nawaz Sharif, and the latter's possible return from self-imposed exile in the UK. The speculation has coincided with talk of threats to Khan's government amid anger in the country over price rise and misgovernance. The major reverses Khan's party suffered in its stronghold of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the local bodies elections and an upbeat mood in the Opposition camp have also fueled the speculation.  ALSO READ: Religion Is Too Important To Be Left To Clerics Shehbaz Sharif, the Opposition Leader in Pakistan's National Assembly, on Thursday reflected the mood when he claimed the end of Khan's government was a matter of time. He

Ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chose the Katas Raj temple complex in Punjab to warn hardliners against preaching animosity.  Sameer Arshad Khatlani I nvestigators in Pakistan have blamed a Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader for inciting the mob that burnt a Hindu shrine in the country's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province last month. They told Pakistan's Supreme Court on Tuesday that 109 people have been arrested for the arson while 92 policemen have been suspended over “ cowardice and negligence ” they showed by their failure in protecting the shrine.  The focus in India so far has been on the Pakistani Supreme Court’s order that directed authorities reconstruct the century-old shrine and recover money from the arsonists. Hardly anyone has paid attention to the political affiliation of the alleged instigator.  JUI-F is no ordinary party. Its leader, Fazlur Rehman, is leading an 11-member coalition called Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) that has launched a campaign and org