Pakistan Election Updates: In this global year of elections, nearly 1.5 billion South Asians will exercise their franchise. Bangladesh headed to elections on 7th January with Sheikh Hasina, the world’s longest serving woman prime minister, looking all set to win a fourth term. Islamic Republic of Pakistan will hold elections in February. India – the world’s largest democracy – with 955 million voters, will likely hold multi-phase elections in 4-5 months.
In Pakistan, grappling with massive economic crisis, political and security challenges, 127 million voters will cast their ballot in the general elections on 08 Feb 2024 to elect the 336 member National Assembly, which will include 60 women and 10 non-Muslims.
As per Pakistan Election Updates, Nearly 10% of the young voters will be exercising their franchise for the first time. The schedule was announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), after much controversy. These were supposed to be held less than 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly on 10 Aug 2023 (i.e., before 08 Nov 2023). The ECP has also imposed a ban on entrance and exit polls.
Crisis in Country and Other Pakistan Election Updates
Pakistan has been facing a turbulent political landscape since its former prime minister Imran Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party, elected in 2018, was ousted in a successful no-confidence motion in the National Assembly in April 2022. Political tensions escalated on 09 May 2023, when Imran Khan was arrested by the paramilitary forces in an anti-corruption case, which he says, was politically motivated. An intense crackdown on PTI and its activists has sparked concerns about the credibility of the elections, and the role of the country’s all powerful military establishment in it, says Al Jazeera.
Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) or PML (N), led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) led by former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari are in the fray. Nawaz Sharif, who was in exile for several years, following a spate of cases and convictions on corruption charges, has returned to Pakistan. Courts have overturned past convictions against him, and many analysts see him as the military’s favored candidate to lead the country next, writes Al Jazeera.
Irrespective of who comes to power, Pakistan’s Armed Forces are expected to play an outsized role in the Pakistan election updates.
MitKat and datasurfr will continue to monitor Pakistan Election updates and geo-political events across South Asia, its impact on global and local businesses. Read the entire conversation here.
