Imran Khan was ousted as Pakistan's prime minister on Sunday after a no-confidence vote in parliament, prematurely ending a term marked by a deteriorating economy and signs that he had lost the trust of the powerful military.
The defections from his coalition reflected the growing frustration of many Pakistanis with high inflation, the growing deficit and the perception that Khan had failed to deliver on his campaign promises to eradicate corruption.
However, he is unlikely to disappear from the political scene altogether.
After the Supreme Court overturned his decision to dissolve parliament and ordered lawmakers to return to the lower house, an ally called the move a judicial coup and Khan said he would continue to fight "until the last ball."
The 69-year-old joins a long list of elected Pakistani prime ministers who have failed to see out their full term; none have done so since independence in 1947.
In 2018, the cricketing legend who led Pakistan to its only World Cup victory in 1992 rallied the country behind his vision of a corruption-free and prosperous country respected on the world stage.
But the ardent nationalist's fame and charisma were not enough to keep him in power.
Ironically for a politician once criticized for being under the thumb of powerful military power, his downfall comes amid signs of deteriorating relations between him and the army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Khan criticized before the confidence vote foreign powers that tried to pressure Pakistan to cut ties with Russia over its military operation in Ukraine.
