By Sireen Hajaig | Staff Writer

The 2024 general elections in Pakistan have caused controversy and chaos in the country, deeming them rigged and corrupt. Many countries, including the US and the UK, have called to investigate the irregularities as vote counting takes place. This election has added another layer of political instability in a country already dealing with political and economic crises. 

Since the Supreme Court’s decision to sentence former Prime Minister Imran Khan to 14 years in jail on corruption accusations, the country spiraled into turmoil. Imran Khan’s sentencing to prison effectively meant that he was barred from running in the elections. But it still didn’t prevent Khan’s political party, the PTI, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, from winning majority seats in the government.

In the National Assembly of Pakistan, a party has to win 133 seats to form a government. The PTI, backed by Khan, won 100, the most out of all parties. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) backed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif won 73 seats, and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) won 54 seats. This was soon followed by a plea by the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, to form a coalition government with other parties. Sharif stated: “We don’t have enough of a majority to form a government without the support of others and we invite allies to join the coalition so we can make joint efforts to pull Pakistan out of its problems,”, which was soon approved by the two parties opposing the PTI.

With 255 out of 265 seats already announced, PTI claimed victory over all other parties, accusing the delay from the remaining seats as being a way to rig the election and to steal the people’s rights, especially that support for PTI politicians was very risky and rare. Many attempts to prevent their win were made. Several PTI politicians were jailed before the elections and the party was also banned from using any signs or symbols of the cricket bat, as it was considered to be referring to Khan, a former renowned cricketer. Though in jail, ex-PM Khan succeeded in delivering a victory speech using an AI-generated video, mimicking his voice, addressing his supporters on the recent win of his party in the government and alleging election fraud by his opponents, just hours after Nawaz Sharif, the opposition, declared his win. 

Nawaz Sharif, leader of PML-N, has served more than three times as prime minister and also succeeded in his last mandates in stabilizing the economy. Sharif is also backed by the military which plays a very important role in the governance of the nation. It encompasses various aspects of governance, security, and national development. Thus, having the support of the military is more than crucial for the government. It wasn’t the case for Khan as his relationship with the military kept on deteriorating. The army tried to dismantle the PTI, through many arrests and by holding military trials for politicians in the party. Especially that it was former Army Chief Bajwa, who orchestrated the vote of no confidence in 2022, which resulted in Khan losing his role as PM.

Nawaz’s soon victory is being discredited as calls for a revised election are being made. However, Islamabad has rejected any international intervention in the elections, claiming that it is an internal affair 

Yet, with allegations of corrupt elections, thousands of people took to the streets of Pakistan, demanding fair elections as they considered their democratic rights to have been robbed. 

https://www.vox.com/world-politics/2024/2/12/24071288/pakistan-elections-results-imran-khan-pti-surprise-explained 

https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20240209-the-generals-elections-that-turned-against-pakistan-s-military

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/former-pakistan-pm-imran-khan-gets-10-year-jail-term-leaking-state-secrets-geo-2024-01-30/