AFPNawaz Sharif during a speech today in Lahore
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 18:34
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Aletta Andrew
South Asia Correspondent
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Aletta Andrew
South Asia Correspondent
Nawaz Sharif has claimed victory in the Pakistani elections. This is striking, because independent candidates have so far collectively won more seats than his party, the PML-N. Most independent candidates are supported by the PTI of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is in prison.
That they were able to win so many seats was a big surprise, because Sharif has the support of the Pakistani army, which traditionally has a lot of influence on the country’s government. The authorities made it very difficult for the PTI in the run-up to the elections. Although the results took a long time to come, one thing soon became clear: the influence of the army on the ballot box is less great than expected.
Before the elections, Sharif was acquitted of all his corruption cases, while Khan was sentenced to decades in prison in several cases in one week. It was made impossible for Khan’s PTI party to participate in the elections as a party and campaigning was made more difficult for independent candidates.
“It has already been decided who wins,” said voter Kurshid Fatima at the polls on Sunday. “They make it clear who they support and who they do not, and that is why people know this very well. The result is certain.” Fatima said she voted anyway, out of a sense of duty.
Violence at all borders
Sharif is seen as a good diplomat who can improve relations with Pakistan’s neighbors. Pakistan borders India, Afghanistan, China and Iran and struggles with militant violence in all border regions. The recent missile attacks between Iran and Pakistan show how quickly tensions can rise. The military likes to keep a close eye on foreign policy, and therefore has an interest in who heads the government.
But many of Khan’s supporters decided to vote in protest against this interference and the repression of Khan’s party, which has been very critical of the military’s power in recent years. With success, as it now appears.
“It is the general perception that the democratic process is not fair,” said Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, founder of the independent think tank Pildat. “But this is an exaggeration.” According to Mehboob, manipulation by the army is normal, but this mainly happens prior to the elections, by making the playing field as uneven as possible. “Election day itself is usually largely fair, apart from incidents. We always tell young people: if you vote in large numbers, it becomes more difficult to manipulate the results.”
Big surprise
Although no figures have yet been released about the turnout, this appears to have been the case. The fact that many of Khan’s candidates appeared to be ahead on Thursday evening, against expectations, came as a big surprise. Sharif was forced to keep his victory speech in his pocket for a while. A neck-and-neck race emerged that continued to be tense.
The PTI claims that results were falsified and that the independent candidates had actually won many more seats. This was protested by PTI supporters in the northern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. At least three PTI supporters were killed in violence between protesters and the police on Friday. The EU has called on Pakistan to investigate allegations of fraud and sabotage.
Seats for women and minorities
Despite these accusations, the candidates affiliated with Khan were able to win more seats than Sharif. Sharif nevertheless claimed victory based on the fact that his party is the largest party. The party says it expects even more seats: at the time of his speech, 45 seats had yet to be counted. Another 70 seats reserved for women and minorities will also be allocated to the parties. As the largest party, the PML-N can count on most of those seats, while the independent candidates cannot claim any at all.
There will not be a majority of seats, so Sharif will have to look for coalition partners. He has called on all parties to work together. The PML-N previously formed a coalition with the PPP of Bilawal Bhutto, the son of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was murdered in 2007.
The PML-N also says it is in contact with several independent candidates. These may join a party up to three days after the results. The expectation is that at least some will do so, which will be disappointing for Khan’s supporters. But for now they are celebrating a moral victory: although Sharif is likely to become prime minister, the army did not quite get its way.
2024-02-09 17:34:24
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