Pakistani Parties Imran Khan
QUETTA, Pakistan, a significant gathering comprising thousands of backers of Pakistan’s incarcerated former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, along with members of various other political factions, staged a blockade on significant highways and initiated a day-long strike in the volatile southwest region on Monday—the demonstration aimed to denounce purported electoral malpractice in the recent elections.
Electoral Malpractice
As per the conclusive count released on Sunday, candidates supported by Khan secured more seats than the political factions that removed him from authority almost two years ago.
Despite this, no single party clinched a majority, necessitating negotiations among the parties to establish a coalition government. The new parliament will be responsible for selecting the nation’s next prime minister.
Next Prime Minister
The Thursday election to determine a new parliament was marred by accusations of vote tampering, an unprecedented mobile phone network shutdown, and the exclusion of Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, also known as PTI Imran Khan, from participation in the vote.
As the election victors rejoiced in their success, PTI Imran Khan and several other parties declined to acknowledge their defeat in numerous constituencies. In the eastern city of Lahore, dozens of Imran Khan supporters were briefly apprehended over the weekend while demonstrating against purported vote manipulation.
Pakistan Muslim League-N Party
Jan Achakzai, a spokesperson for the government in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, appealed to protesters to demonstrate grace by acknowledging defeat and vacating the highways.
Khan was unable to contest the election due to criminal convictions that he claimed were politically motivated.
Candidates aligned with Khan garnered 101 seats out of 266 in the Imran Khan National Assembly, constituting the lower house of parliament.
The Pakistan Muslim League-N party, headed by three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who has faced legal issues, clinched 75 seats. Sharif is presently engaged in discussions with allies to establish a coalition government.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), led by Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, secured 54 seats in third place. One outcome has been withheld, and another vote was delayed due to the unfortunate demise of a candidate.
It’s worth noting that the PML-N and the PPP spearheaded the campaign to remove Khan from office in 2022.
Pakistan’s military has consistently positioned itself as the decisive authority in selecting the prime minister. Sharif emerged as the favored candidate of the powerful security establishment due to his unproblematic return to the country last October.
Sharif had spent four years in exile to evade serving prison sentences, but upon his return to Pakistan, his convictions were swiftly overturned within weeks.