2022–2025 Pakistan political unrest

2022–2026 Pakistan political unrest
2022–2026 Pakistan political unrest
Date	24 March 2022 - 8 February 2026
Location	Pakistan; (Countrywide)
Caused by	Imran Khan's confrontation with the Pakistani establishment; Submission of a VONC against Imran Khan by the PDM; Gaza war protests;
Methods	Demonstrations; Jail Bharo Tehreek;
Status	Imran Khan ousted as PM, April 2022.; Supporters of Imran Khan hold a nationwide protest, day after his removal, April 2022; Imran Khan kickstarts his public campaign, demanding early elections, April 2022.; PTI wins Punjab by-elections, paving way for PTI to take back control of Pakistan's biggest province, August 2022.; PTI-led two provinces stand dissolved, January 2023.; Arrest of Imran Khan on 9 May 2023; 2023 Imran Khan arrest protests following Khan's arrest; Imran Khan released on 11 May 2023; Mass arrests of PTI leaders and workers since 11 May after May 9 riots; Many PTI leaders resigned from PTI and formed IPP and PTI-P; Imran Khan arrested on 5 August 2023; Shehbaz Sharif completes his term as Prime Minister, 14 August 2023.; Caretaker government formed under Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, 14 August 2023.; Imran Khan sentence suspended, 29 August 2023. Though he remains arrested due to Cipher Case.; 2025 Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan protests crackdown;
Parties
PMLN; PPP; MQM-P; Supported by:; PDM: PML(Q); BAP; IPP; PTI-P (until 2024); ; BNP(M) (until 2024); JWP (until 2024); ANP (until 2024); QWP (until 2024); NDM (until 2024); NP (until 2024); ;	PTI; SIC; PAT; Supported by:; TTAP: GDA; MWM; PkMAP; BNP(M); AML; JUI (F); AP; JIP; TLP; MQM-L; PRM; ;
Lead figures
	Shehbaz Sharif; Maryam Nawaz; Asif Ali Zardari; Bilawal Bhutto Zardari; Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui; Supported by: Nawaz Sharif; Yusuf Raza Gillani; Shujaat Hussain; Khalid Hussain Magsi; Aleem Khan (politician); Pervez Khattak (until 2024); Sajid Mir (until 2024); Shah Owais Noorani (until 2024); Akhtar Mengal (until 2024); Shahzain Bugti (until 2024); Aimal Wali Khan (until 2024); Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao (until 2024); Mohsin Dawar (until 2024); Abdul Malik Baloch; Mahmood Khan Achakzai (until 2024); Imran Khan; Bushra Bibi; Shah Mahmood Qureshi; Parvez Elahi; Supported by: Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad; Pir of Pagaro VIII; Raja Nasir Abbas; Sahibzada Hamid Raza; Mahmood Khan Achakzai; Akhtar Mengal; Shahid Khaqan Abbasi; Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri; Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman; Fazal-ur-Rehman (politician, born 1953); Saad Hussain Rizvi; Altaf Hussain; Mushtaq Ahmad Khan;
Casualties and losses
2023 Imran Khan arrest protests:; 190+ policemen injured; Several military installations and cantonments vandalized; Several Public properties and infrastructure were destroyed or damaged; Corps Commander House, Lahore burned down; Peshawar Radio Station burned down; 2025 Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan protests:; 1 policeman killed.; 48-112 policemen injured;	2022 Azadi march:; 5 marchers killed; 2023 Imran Khan arrest protests:; 8+ protestors killed; 47+ protestors killed (PTI Claim); Many senior leaders arrested; 7000+ protestors arrested; 2025 Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan protests:; 3-11 protesters killed; 100-700 protesters arrested;

The 2022–2026 Pakistan political unrest is a series of political crises after the ousting of former prime minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion at 12 p.m., 10 April 2022 and 8 February 2026. 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. Imran Khan urged the military establishment to bring establishment controlled parties like PML-Q or PPP & MQM back into alliance and play its role to save his government and not let rival politicians take over, but the establishment supported opposition.

After his ouster, month later Khan led the 2022 Azadi march, and later the Haqeeqi Azadi march in October to protest the new government and call for early elections in the country. In 2023, the Khan-led PTI dissolved two of its provincial assemblies (Punjab and KP), to attempt to cause early elections in 60% of the country due on 30 April 2023 and 28 May 2023, respectively. Following the end of his premiership, Khan has seen his popularity increase, 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. At the same time, inflation continued to rise in goods and services, reaching a multi-decade high of 35.4 percent, driven by a weaker rupee, COVID-19 related supply-chain disruptions, high production costs for farmers, and global fuel price hikes, causing economic strain.

Imran Khan was arrested by the police from Islamabad High Court (IHC) on 9 May 2023, but was later released by Supreme Court two days later. Khan's arrest led to a nationwide protest by his supporters. On May 9, a series of riots and violent demonstrations directly occurred against military and government instillations. Social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook and others were blocked in the country. 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, the IHC suspended Imran Khan's sentence, but Khan has since then been convicted in other cases.