2022–2023 Pakistan political unrest

The 2022–23 Pakistan political unrest was a series of political crises after the ousting of former prime minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion in April 2022. The crises began in 2022 when the opposition joined hands and submitted a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan's government in the National Assembly. Prime Minister Imran Khan urged the Pakistani establishment not to stay neutral and play its role to save his government and not let historical rival politicians with alleged corruption charges take over, but the establishment refused.

Allegations of the US interference in Pakistani politics could damage already weak bilateral ties, with anti-American sentiment surging. It was revealed in leaked cables shared with The Intercept on 9 August 2023, that the US government had secretly encouraged Imran Khan's ouster, promising warmer relations if Khan was removed and threatening isolation if he was not.

After his ouster, Imran Khan kickstarted his movement and called for early general elections, for which calls escalated after the Khan-led PTI dissolved two of its provincial assemblies (Punjab and KP), triggering elections in 60% of the country due on 30 April 2023 and 28 May 2023, respectively.

Khan's calls received a broadly positive response from the general public, with a Gallup survey declaring Imran Khan as the most popular current political leader in Pakistan, with 61% of Pakistanis having a positive opinion about him, followed by 36% for the PML-N's Nawaz Sharif and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, respectively.

Imran Khan was arrested by the police from Islamabad High Court on 9 May 2023. Khan's arrest led to a nationwide protest by his supporters. PTI supporters had reportedly indulged into violence to stage their protest against this arrest. Social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook and others were blocked in the country. but was later released by Supreme Court two days later. On 5 August 2023, Imran Khan was again arrested on the charges of selling state gifts and was sentenced to three years jail and five years of disqualification by the trial court Judge. On 29 August 2023, Islamabad High Court suspended Imran Khan's sentence. China has lost confidence in the prospects of generating returns from its investments in the crisis-ridden nation. Pakistan's economy remains under severe strain due to a debt crisis, with the country facing challenges in repaying $1.2 billion in outstanding payments.

In Pakistan, inflation maintains its upward trajectory, as indicated by the most recent official data, which shows a year-on-year increase of 35.4% in the consumer price index for March 2023. This marks a significant surge compared to the 31.5% increase recorded in the previous month and the 12.7% rate seen in March 2022. The primary drivers of this multi-decade-high inflation rate are the surging prices of essential commodities, particularly food and fuel.