Was Imran Khan’s Ouster a US-Backed Coup? It’s Complicated, Says Pakistani Leftist Taimur Rahman

While the world has been distracted by the war in Ukraine, Pakistan is in the middle of massive political upheaval. Imran Khan was removed as prime minister through a parliamentary vote of no confidence, which he blamed on a US-backed coup.

Was it US interference? Or was this just local Pakistani politics?

To understand what happened and how Pakistani politics came to be dominated by a right-wing and military elite, Rania Khalek was joined by Taimur Rahman, a Pakistani Marxist who is Secretary General of the Mazdoor Kisan Party (Workers and Peasants Party). He is also an associate professor of political science at the Lahore University of Management Sciences.

TIME CODES
0:00 Intro
2:28 What happened in Pakistan?
9:33 Was it a US-backed coup?
23:34 Who is Pakistan’s new PM Shehbaz Sharif?
29:17 Why don’t Pakistani PM’s complete their terms?
31:49 Pakistan’s military & ruling elites
35:52 Dominance of Punjab province
37:47 Role of Saudi Arabia in Pakistan
48:15 Sunni extremism in Pakistan
52:10 Pakistan’s relationship with China
59:12 Multipolarity
1:07:29 Leftist movements in Pakistan
1:12:18 What do Pakistanis think about the war in Ukraine?