Electoral fraud in Pakistan

20-02-2024

Eleni Patlaka

Pakistan Researcher,

Global Human Rights Defence.

In Pakistan, the February elections have not led to the formation of a government with the three major parties Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) seeking coalition with other smaller parties or independent candidates (Yong, 2024). At the same time, incidents of violence and corrupt practices are coming to light, while many more allegations are being made against the former government for falsifying election results (Hakimi, 2024).

More specifically, the PTI, the party of jailed Imran Khan, claims that the number of seats it had won was more than the 150 seats required to form a government. Such an allegation could be valid if irregularities during the election process, such as snatching of nomination papers and deprivation of his election symbol, are taken into account. Furthermore, concerns about the credibility of the elections have been attributed to the EU and the US (Hussain, 2024). For example, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ilhan Omar, U.S. representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district, wrote:

[...]I am deeply troubled by reports of interference in this week's election in Pakistan. The legitimacy of any incoming government rests on fair elections, free of manipulation, intimidation, or fraud. The Pakistani people deserve nothing less than a transparent democratic process and true representative government. 

There are also complaints of non-compliance with electoral laws, including the procedure for collecting and counting votes. In particular, the video shows two journalists inspecting ballots destined for NA-15. Of course, this post raises questions about the credibility of the footage (Malik, 2024).

Similarly, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan spoke about electoral fraud and the need to monitor the election results. In this context, they suggested the creation of a three-phase model and the deployment of independent observers to re-verify the results (Dawn, 2024). 

Sources and further reading: 

Dawn (2024). ‘Open the books’. DAWN.COM. Available at: <https://www.dawn.com/news/1815651>  Accessed 20 February, 2024.

Hakimi, H. (2024). ‘Who can form a government in Pakistan’s post-election chaos? The answer isn’t straightforward.’ The Guardian, 12 February 2024. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/12/pakistan-chaotic-election-clash-elites-ordinary-people> Accessed 13 February, 2024.

Hussain, T. (2024). ‘2024 elections pose threat to Pakistani democracy.’ Technique, 16 February 2024. Available at: <https://nique.net/news/2024/02/16/2024-elections-pose-threat-to-pakistani-democracy/> Accessed 20 February, 2024.

Malik, M. (2024). ‘“Post-poll rigging” videos or a damp squib?’ DAWN.COM, 20 February 2024. Available at: <https://www.dawn.com/news/1815630> Accessed 20 February, 2024.

Omar, Ilhan [@Ilhan]. (2024, February 9 ). I am deeply troubled by reports of interference in this week's election in Pakistan. The legitimacy of any incoming government rests on fair elections, free of manipulation, intimidation, or fraud. The Pakistani people deserve nothing less than a transparent democratic process… [Tweet]. X. <https://twitter.com/Ilhan/status/1756041601338454491>  Accessed 20 February, 2024.

Yong, N. (2024). ‘Pakistan election: What happens after Imran Khan vote surprise?’ www.bbc.com, 12 February 2024. Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68271462> Accessed 13 February, 2024.

Photo Source

Hussain. M. (2022). Imran Khan supporters. Pexels.