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Pakistan PM, Imran Khan, swept aside after losing confidence vote

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Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan, has been swept out of office after 174 members of parliament voted against hi a few days after he had blocked a similar attempt.

The former Cricket star turned politician was deposed on Saturday by a no-confidence vote in the parliament, after the country’s Supreme Court ruled that he had acted unconstitutionally by previously using his veto power to block the process and dissolving parliament.

The no-confidence motion, which required 172 votes in the 342-seat parliament to pass, was supported by 174 politicians, including members of his own party, ending Khan’s three and half years in power.

The defiant Khan has accused the opposition of colluding with the United States to unseat him, calling on his supporters to stage nationwide rallies from on Sunday.

“I will not accept an imported government. I’m ready for a struggle,” Khan had said while addressing his supporters.

With the deposition of the 69-year-old PM, Khan had become the first Prime Minister in the country’s history to be overthrown through a vote of no confidence which is the only constitutional way to remove the head of government in Pakistan.

However, it is on record that no Pakistani Prime Minister has ever completed a five-year term in office in the country’s 75-year history.

Khan’s political troubles and eventually removal took roots when his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lost the support of coalition allies, denying him the majority he needed to defeat the vote of no-confidence.

Outside of parliament, Khan also lost the support of Pakistan’s powerful military, which the opposition alleged helped him win the 2018 general election, and had recently publicly fallen out with the Prime Minister over senior military appointments and policy decisions.

Before his eventual removal, principal opposition parties, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), had ramped up efforts to dislodge Khan, with coalition allies becoming vocal in their dissatisfaction with him.

The opposition parties also accused Khan of failing to revive an economy battered by COVID-19 or fulfil promises to make Pakistan corruption free.

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Musings From Abroad

Uganda turns to China for $150 million loan after World Bank halts funding

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East African country, Uganda will now seek to borrow $150 million from China’s Export-Import Bank (Exim), following lending restrictions by the World Bank for its anti-homosexuality law.

The action highlights the country’s growing dependence on Chinese lenders after the World Bank’s decision earlier this year stopping all new loans to the country.

Uganda is negotiating a loan to finance the construction of a pipeline to help export its crude oil to foreign markets with the Chinese export credit organisations SINOSURE and Exim Bank.

The money, the finance ministry says, is “to finance the supply, installation, commissioning, and support of the national data transmission backbone infrastructure.”

A law prohibiting LGBTQ was passed by the Ugandan legislature in May. Several stringent regulations were incorporated into the legislation, which drew strong criticism from the international community, including the United States, the European Union, the United Nations, and major corporations like the World Bank.

Before lending to Uganda was suspended by the World Bank, it was the country’s largest development partner.

The Anti-Homosexuality Act imposes severe penalties, including death, for a variety of homosexual offences.

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Musings From Abroad

Russia’s free grain to hit 6 African countries this week

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Following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s promise to send free grain to six African countries in July, Russian shipments of donated grain are due to begin landing in Africa within days.

The supply will give fresh impetus to Russia’s bid to bolster its influence on the continent after criticism over its invasion of Ukraine and withdrawal from a deal that facilitated the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea linked to pushing up global food and fertilizer prices.

The Russian Agriculture Ministry stated earlier this month that the shipments would amount to 200,000 metric tonnes by the end of the year, with Somalia and Burkina Faso scheduled to be the initial recipients. According to Putin’s July statement, Zimbabwe, Mali, Eritrea, and the Central African Republic are also expected to receive between 25,000 and 50,000 metric tonnes of grain each.

Two of the top exporters of grain and vegetable oil worldwide are Russia and Ukraine. Russia’s bombardment of Ukrainian ports and stores has affected the world’s supply of both commodities during the war. Russia in July also quit a year-old agreement that had allowed Ukraine to ship grain from its Black Sea ports, which, according to a study by a South African agency, helped feed about 95 million people but fell short in ensuring that fertilizer-originating from Russia could flow freely to global markets. Had that happened, food could have been produced to feed about 199 million people.

However, Putin, in order to fulfil what he claimed was Moscow’s crucial role in ensuring global food security, stated that Russia was prepared to replace Ukrainian grain exports to Africa on both a commercial and assistance basis.

While most African countries have adopted a non-aligned posture in the war, Russia’s influence in the continent has been on the rise lately, particularly with regard to defence relations.

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