The general elections that took place in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan marked a controversial and lengthy process in the lives of Pakistani people and the world. The election was scheduled for the 8th of February 2024 and the most important aspect of the event was to elect a new prime minister for Pakistan.
A couple days after the crucial day, the Election Commission of Pakistan released the official results which was unexpected and resulted in major political discussion around the country.
The major parties that participated in the election were Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
One of most prominent political parties of the recent election had been PML-N. The party follows centre-right and conservative liberal policies.
PTI, led by the former prime minister Imran Khan, was the party that got the most number of seats in the last election. The PTI follows populist, welfarist and egalitarian policies in a context of Islamic democracy. Compared to the PML-N, PTI can be considered a part with centre tendencies.
However, there is a third party in Pakistan that follows a different path in the political spectrum compared to these major political parties. The PPP has historically followed left-wing islamic socialist policies that are associated with the center-left. Although the PPP keeps their place in the spectrum, the party currently follows progressive policies in Pakistan but still does not defy the Islamic dominance over the country.
Imran Khan, a political leader who has been serving as the leader of the political party PTI, has been jailed since August 2023 and has been trying to get his messages across the country and its citizens through the utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. He has been sentenced to 10 years in jail and he was charged with leaking state secrets. He has been already serving a three-year term on charges of corruption. An AI generated version of Imran Khan has been used in order to deliver speeches on behalf of the party. Recently, this version of Khan claimed victory in the election and called on his supporters to show the strength of protecting their vote. “You kept my trust, and your massive turnout has stunned everyone”, he stated in the recent video. Surprisingly, independent candidates for the seats in the National Assembly of Pakistan affiliated with Imran Kahn’s political party, PTI, gained the most seats in the election. It was a shocking victory, which was followed by rigging allegations.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, independent candidates have won 98 seats for now. The most number of the independents are affiliated with Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz party (PMLN), led by the former prime minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif, has so far won the second-most seats with 69. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) follows the two political parties with 51 seats. Following the events, the National Assembly has recently came together in an attempt to elect the prime minister of Pakistan. “Shehbaz Sharif is declared to have been elected the prime minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said. Shehbaz got 201 votes out of 336 members of the National Assembly, while he needed only 169 votes in order to be elected as the prime minister.
Considering the economic, social and political environment in Pakistan, every election can be perceived as consequential alterations to the country’s policies. Pakistan has been suffering from the effects of the presence of militant organizations such as Taliban for years. The country also fails to provide humanitarian assistance to the the public hence the crises that occur relatively frequently. We hope the outcomes of the election contirbutes to the people of Pakistan!
Works Cited
Ghani, Faras, et al. “No Clear Winner in Pakistan as Khan-Backed Independents Lead Vote Count.” Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 10 Feb. 2024.
Hussain, Abid. “Shehbaz Sharif Elected Pakistan PM for Second Term after Controversial Vote.” Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 4 Mar. 2024.
Saifi, Sophia, and David Shortell. “In Shock Result, Allies of Jailed Ex-Leader Imran Khan Win Most Seats in Pakistan Election.” CNN, Cable News Network, 10 Feb. 2024.
“Understanding Pakistan’s Election Results.” United States Institute of Peace, 13 Feb. 2024.