DATE OF ELECTION
February 8
TYPE OF ELECTION
Parliamentary
WHO’S RUNNING
No political party won a big enough majority to form a government. The Election Commission slapped legal barriers on candidates from ex-premier Imran Khan’s party, forcing them to run as independents. They secured the biggest number of parliamentary seats, despite numerous challenges. But they’ve ruled out a coalition, claiming that electoral theft deprived them of the votes needed to come out on top. Khan’s rivals, Nawaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, are also in the race to govern Pakistan. They’re likely, but not guaranteed, to team up and woo parliamentarians for a coalition
WHY IT MATTERS TO THE WORLD
Voting day was overshadowed by allegations of vote-rigging, an unprecedented countrywide mobile phone shutdown, the exclusion of Khan and an hours-long delay in announcing the results. The turnout was around 47%, lower than the previous election in 2018. The disputed result means the incoming administration will have to add public disillusion and division to their to-do list. Pakistan needs a strong and stable government to fix the economy, address the cost-of-living crisis and tackle militancy. But the country is unlikely to get that because there’s so much political infighting and personal grievances at play.
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