Pakistan ex-PM Khan’s bloc sidelined in Punjab assembly vote

By MUNIR AHMED
Associated Press

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party has been sidelined in a key vote in Punjab province, despite winning a byelection there earlier this week. Friday’s vote was held to determine whether the province’s sitting chief minister enjoyed the majority backing in the provincial parliament. The development was another blow to Khan, who’d hoped to form the new provincial government in Punjab after his party last Sunday won 15 out of 20 seats that were up for grabs in the 371-member provincial assembly. Khan’s candidate for chief minister, Pervez Elahi, won 186 votes but the provincial assembly’s deputy speaker invalidated 10 of those votes over violations of voting regulations. Khan is now calling for nationwide protests.