Pakistan's political future remains uncertain following Prime Minister Imran Khan's ousting in a parliamentary no-confidence vote early Sunday. Khan calls on supporters to march to the streets in protest, and the political opposition is preparing to appoint his replacement.

Khan was deposed following a day of turmoil and frequently angry outbursts. His followers charged Washington with arranging his demise, and his party stormed out of Parliament soon before the vote. Finally, 174 members of Parliament's 342 seats voted to remove him, two more than the required simple majority.

On Monday, Parliament will elect and swear in Khan's successor. Shahbaz Sharif, the brother of disgraced former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, is the leading contender.

Shahbaz Sharif is the leader of the main party in a broad coalition of opposition organizations ranging from leftist to highly religious. Khan's foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will be his nominee for prime minister.

Khan's resignation comes as his relations with the powerful military deteriorate as the economy grapples with soaring inflation and a collapsing Pakistani rupee. Khan's government has been accused of economic incompetence by the opposition.

Khan has claimed that the US conspired behind the scenes to assassinate him, ostensibly because of Washington's discontent with his autonomous foreign policy decisions, which frequently favored China and Russia. He has periodically disobeyed America and been outspoken in his criticism of the country's post-9/11 war on terror. Khan stated that America was profoundly worried by his travel to Russia and meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 24, the commencement of Ukraine's devastation.

The State Department of the United States has refuted his charges.

According to Elizabeth Threlkeld, a Pakistan researcher at the US-based Stimson Center, Khan frequently assumed the role of opposition leader even while serving as prime minister.

"His removal would relegate him to a role he is familiar with, armed with a narrative of victimhood stemming from unfounded allegations of international interference," she explained. "His base will remain loyal, though I anticipate that his contentious attempt to retain power and reduced military support will result in him losing some of his most devoted supporters."

Khan appears to have few options in the future.

Before August 2023, no general elections are scheduled. Even if the incoming Prime Minister advocates for early elections, they are unlikely to occur before October. The Pakistan Election Commission, which monitors elections, informed the Supreme Court last week that it had not yet completed realigning constituencies by the results of a 2017 census.

Following Sunday's vote, massive steel containers heaped on top of one another blocked significant routes leading to Parliament and the diplomatic enclave in Islamabad's capital. Khan has urged his supporters to meet late Sunday, following the conclusion of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan's daily dawn-to-dusk fast.

Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the Wilson Center in Washington, predicted that Pakistan would face stormy times.

"Khan's demise will also leave Pakistan profoundly divided and political. Not only has he heightened political conflicts, but he has also defied and alienated major institutions such as the Army Chief and Pakistan's Foreign Office," Kugelman explained. "It will take time for the country to mend itself, and the coming months will be tumultuous politically."

The decision on Sunday brought an end to a week-long constitutional crisis that had captivated the nation. It began last Sunday when Khan attempted to avoid a no-confidence vote by dissolving Parliament and declaring early elections. The Supreme Court then intervened, ultimately ordering to reinstate Parliament and to insist the vote be held.

Khan has garnered international acclaim for managing the COVID pandemic, choosing so-called "smart lockdowns" in areas where outbreaks occurred rather than countrywide closures that would have protected certain businesses such as construction. His reputation for combating corruption has resulted in a record $21 billion in deposits from Pakistanis living outside the country.

However, he has been unable to overcome a deteriorating relationship with the army, which has ruled Pakistan directly for more than half of its 75-year existence and indirectly from the sidelines under civilian governments.

Khan's opponents claim the army assisted him in winning the 2018 elections following a spat with former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was convicted of corruption following his identity being revealed in the so-called Panama Papers. These documents are a compilation of leaked confidential financial records showing how some of the world's wealthiest people conceal their wealth and involving a multinational legal practice based in Panama.

Sharif was removed from office by Pakistan's Supreme Court. He lives in self-imposed exile in London following his conviction for corruption in a Pakistani court, and hed he received a ten-year prison sentence.

Khan's relationship with the army began to deteriorate in November when he clashed with Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa over selecting the new intelligence chief.

Bajwa sought to separate himself from Khan's anti-American rhetoric last weekend, stating that Pakistan desires strong relations with Washington, its major export trading partner, and China. He denounced Russia's intervention in Ukraine.