Pakistan’s Election Day: Imran Khan in Prison, Voter Enthusiasm Low
Pakistan is gearing up for its national parliamentary elections, but the atmosphere is far from ideal. One of the leading candidates, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, is currently languishing in prison, while reports suggest that voter enthusiasm is lacking among the country’s nearly 128 million voters.
Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, has been barred from contesting the elections and is serving a sentence of more than 30 years in jail. Khan was ousted as prime minister in April 2022 after a no-confidence vote. He has been imprisoned since August 2023 and has recently received three out of four sentences.
Khan’s party has raised concerns about pre-poll rigging, and it seems that voters share these fears. A recent Gallup poll revealed that 70% of Pakistanis lack confidence in the honesty of their elections. The election cycle has been marred by violence and harassment, casting a dark shadow over the proceedings.
Forty-four political parties are competing for a share of the 266 seats in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament. The newly elected parliament will then choose the country’s next prime minister. Despite many surveys favoring Khan as the preferred leader, three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to return to power. Sharif, like Khan, has faced legal cases and the military establishment’s wrath, which prematurely ended his past three terms as prime minister.
As a politician, Khan has advocated for liberal ideas while also catering to Islamic principles and sentiments. However, his tenure witnessed a surge in Islamist militancy and the strengthening of positions held by religious radicals. On the other hand, Sharif and his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party have campaigned largely on Pakistan’s dire financial situation, with rising poverty levels and persistent inflation.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a PML-N ally, is unlikely to secure the premiership but its leader, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, stands a chance to be part of a coalition government under Sharif.
Khan’s PTI party has faced numerous challenges in the lead-up to the elections. Supporters claim that the charges against Khan are politically motivated to keep him out of the election. The PTI party has faced arrests, home raids, and internet disruptions and freezes. The United Nations’ leading human rights body has warned of a “pattern of harassment” against members of Khan’s party and has urged Pakistani authorities to ensure a free and fair election.
To counter these challenges, the PTI party has heavily relied on social media, with millions of followers on platforms like Instagram, X, and TikTok. They have also utilized generative AI to create Khan-approved content, including his first-ever virtual rally speech. The party has also conducted covert canvassing operations to avoid further crackdowns.
Despite the obstacles, the PTI party remains hopeful and is determined to secure an easy win in the elections.
In an effort to ensure a fair election, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that there will be 92 international election observers, including members from the European Union and several foreign embassies. Both the military and Pakistan’s caretaker government have denied suppressing Khan or the PTI party.
As Pakistan heads to the polls, the country is facing a critical moment in its political history. With one of the leading candidates in prison and voter enthusiasm low, it remains to be seen how these elections will shape the future of Pakistan.