Election Turmoil in Pakistan: Any Hope for the Future?

In Pakistan’s 77-year history, no prime minister has ever served their full five-year term. It is no surprise therefore that the recent General Election was characterised by disruption, corruption and confusion. Whilst Imran Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won the most seats, no party secured an outright majority. This sets Pakistan up for an unpopular coalition government led by former Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif. The election spotlighted the country’s struggle with democracy and it is worth looking at the background of the turmoil in greater depth, before deciding whether we should be optimistic for the country’s future.

Ousting of Imran Khan and his arrest

This political turmoil started back in April 2022 when Imran Khan became the first Prime Minister of the country to be removed from office due to a vote of no confidence. The subsequently elected PM, Shehbaz Sharif, led a coalition government that was highly criticised for failing to address the alarming economic crisis that hit the country. Record high inflation, rapid depreciation of the rupee and a growing debt amounting to $220 billion were all attributed to Sharif’s government.

Political hostility was further exacerbated by the arrest of Khan in May 2023, on alleged grounds of corruption. Frustration over what was viewed as bogus charges, led to his supporters taking to the streets, culminating in the May 9 riots where thousands were arrested and five PTI workers were killed by the police. Days before the 2024 election, Khan faced three more charges, including leaking state secrets and an unlawful marriage, making his sentence a total of 34 years in prison. From the perspective of his supporters, this was simply another demonstration of political manoeuvring by the “establishment” or army who have long wielded authority. 

PTI de facto ban

Leading up to the election, with the PTI leader incarcerated, the Supreme Court passed a judgment which dealt a further blow to the party. The court reinstated the decision of the Election Commission, to disallow the PTI from using its electoral symbol. This gave rise to two particularly serious consequences, firstly, the PTI political candidates now had to run as independent candidates, which disrupted their entire campaign. As well as this, electoral symbols on ballot cards play a crucial role in Pakistan, a country where the illiteracy rate is almost 40%. Without this symbol many voters would be unable to recognise the PTI candidates, and therefore would pose immense difficulty in winning votes, particularly in rural areas. Several legal experts have criticised the judgment of the Supreme Court, and rightly so; what integrity is left in a justice system that so overtly disrupts the democratic process.

Election results - was it rigged?

In a surprising turn of events, PTI candidates managed to secure 35% of the seats, more than any other party. This was a standout result as in the country’s history, a politician has never seen this level of success without the backing of the army. However, despite this moral victory, the party fell short of securing an outright majority, which led to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) agreeing to form the next coalition government. Allegations and rumours of rigged elections naturally began to circulate following this result, however, it was the public confession of a senior official that gained particular attention. According to the Punjab Commissioner Liaqat Ali Chatta, authorities changed the results of independent candidates and in fact, there was so much “pressure” on him for this that he contemplated suicide. 

What’s next?

While the chance that the election was rigged is certainly not beyond anyone’s imagination, there was no level playing field to begin with. The bombardment of charges against the former PM and the judicial decision that compelled PTI politicians to run independently created such hindrance that a fair vote was an impossibility. Rather than facilitate democracy, the disruption of this election has plunged Pakistan into a deep political crisis. What’s more, is that the unpopular coalition government does not seem to show any sign of change for the country. Commentators have highlighted how there are no convincing plans to deal with Pakistan’s worrying economic crisis.

Analysts increasingly highlight the need for a political “reset” and revolution in Pakistan, to get the country out of this fruitless cycle of no progress. The nature of such a revolution is not clear, but, given the events of these recent elections, it certainly seems to be a necessity for the nation’s development. 

By Taufique Ahmad