Pakistan General Election: Delayed Vote Counting Amidst Allegations of Vote-Rigging and Unrest
The recent general election in Pakistan has been marred by allegations of vote-rigging and violent unrest, leading to a delay in the vote counting process. The election, which took place on Thursday, saw the suspension of mobile phone services and incidents of violence across the country. As the results slowly trickle in, election officials have urged local officials to expedite the counting process.
The party of Imran Khan, the disqualified and jailed former Prime Minister, has raised concerns about the delay, claiming it is a sign of vote-rigging. Unofficial results on TV channels suggest that Khan’s allies are currently leading in the polls. Khan, who was barred from standing in the election due to corruption charges, had his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), field its candidates as independents. They are challenging the party of another former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, whose younger brother Shehbaz currently leads the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz party (PML-N).
The election saw a total of 128 million registered voters, with nearly half of them being under the age of 35. Over 5,000 candidates contested for 266 directly elected seats in the 336-member National Assembly. However, the country’s economic woes, exacerbated by devastating floods in 2022, have left millions struggling to make ends meet. Inflation is soaring, and people are finding it increasingly difficult to pay their bills. This economic turmoil has contributed to a rise in violence within the country.
The delayed release of projected results has raised eyebrows, as previous elections have typically provided a clearer picture of the leading party by midnight on election day. Zafar Iqbal, special secretary at the Election Commission of Pakistan, attributed the delay to an “internet issue.” Despite the delay, PTI leaders remain optimistic about their chances of victory based on early returns. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of the assassinated ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, also expressed encouragement about early results for his Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
Prior to the election, the government suspended mobile services, citing attacks aimed at disrupting the vote. The military reported at least nine deaths related to these attacks. While calls and data services were cut, wifi networks remained functional. However, many voters in Lahore complained that the internet blackout prevented them from booking taxis to reach polling stations and coordinating with family members. The PTI condemned the internet cut as a “cowardly act,” and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called for services to be restored immediately. This extensive shutdown of internet services during an election is unprecedented in Pakistan.
Although Pakistan has a history of militant attacks, voting day saw only isolated incidents of violence. The worst attack occurred in Dera Ismail Khan, where four police officials were killed in a bomb attack on their vehicle. Two separate bomb attacks on candidates’ offices in Balochistan claimed the lives of at least 28 people the day before the election. The PML-N and PPP were considered the two major parties heading into the vote. However, identifying PTI candidates was challenging after the party was banned from using their cricket bat symbol. PTI-backed candidates running as independents had to adopt alternative symbols such as calculators, electric heaters, and dice. This reliance on symbols is crucial in a country where a significant portion of the population is illiterate.
The PTI has alleged that other tactics were employed to prevent their candidates from campaigning and winning seats. These tactics included imprisoning PTI members and supporters and banning them from holding rallies, effectively forcing them underground. Imran Khan, who is currently serving a minimum of 14 years in prison for corruption charges, claims interference by Pakistan’s powerful military, with whom he had a falling out before his ousting and imprisonment. In contrast, Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the PML-N, was able to run in the election despite his previous corruption conviction. Sharif, who was ousted in a 1999 military coup, recently returned from self-imposed exile and had his lifetime ban on holding office overturned.
As Pakistan awaits the final results of the general election, the country remains divided. Imran Khan, the cricket star turned politician, and Nawaz Sharif, the seasoned politician making a comeback, both have their supporters and detractors. The outcome of this election will undoubtedly shape the future of Pakistan and determine who will hold power in the country for the years to come.
