Following Pakistan's recent elections, a complex and tumultuous landscape has emerged, marked by widespread allegations of vote rigging and protests across various provinces. Despite the elections being perceived as rigged, the Pakistani populace attempted to signal a desire for political change, away from the traditional military and elite-dominated governance. However, the results suggest a continuation of the status quo, raising questions about the country's political future and the possibility of renewal or external intervention. Imran Khan's party, despite the jailed former prime minister's incarceration, has named Omar Ayub as the prime ministerial candidate, reflecting Khan's enduring influence and the party's intention to challenge the election outcomes. Protests have erupted in Quetta, Balochistan, and Punjab, with demonstrators blocking highways and demanding justice for the alleged election manipulation. Omar Waraich writes that Khan's against-all-odds victory underscores a deep divide between those opposing the military's political interference and those collaborating with it, highlighting the challenges ahead for Pakistan's democracy. Thousands take to the streets of Sindh, further indicating the widespread discontent with the election process.
Free to read at the link: Pakistan’s post-election landscape is characterized by a dangerous combination of diminishing resources, an authoritarian elite clinging to power, and an institutional vacuum, warns @UniofOxford’s @AdeelMalikOx. https://t.co/FHgrBOsefl
🇵🇰PAKISTANIS PROTEST ELECTION RIGGING Thousands take to the streets of Sindh, Pakistan to protest the elections results that many believe were tampered with. https://t.co/1hsmJBtOBE
‘Pakistan’s most consequential election has altered the national political landscape.’ Rivals of the jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan, are grappling with the sharp backlash against military-backed, family-run parties. https://t.co/9QIi04bfhH https://t.co/n4bvpAwaR2
Imran Khan’s party named a prime minister candidate as it seeks to form a coalition government after Pakistan’s inconclusive election, while also pledging to hold protests against alleged vote-rigging in last week’s polls https://t.co/G6ejjZojK0
Pakistan’s recent election represented a clash between those who oppose the military’s increasingly blatant political meddling and those who collaborate with it for personal and professional gains, writes @UniofOxford’s @AdeelMalikOx. https://t.co/sfLJtqSzTR
Immured in his prison cell, Pakistani politician Imran Khan could scarcely have hoped for a better result in last week’s election, Omar Waraich writes. https://t.co/bVLh9yrD5U
From @WSJopinion: Imran Khan’s against-all-odds victory burnishes his status as a larger-than-life figure in Pakistan, writes @dhume https://t.co/qm8IbbihVX
“We are looking at a completely changed Pakistan” Many voters blame ties between the army, veteran politicians and industrialists for their woes, with a small elite benefiting while many struggle to escape poverty. “Does it happen in any country that the loser wins an election?" https://t.co/IcBQE4PR7a https://t.co/W6HgqKMhFo
Ex-Pakistan premier Imran Khan's party nominates Omar Ayub as PM candidate https://t.co/BUEdhnbs7d https://t.co/2KBu5Bmk91
Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s political party plans to hold protests in the country’s most populous Punjab province against alleged rigging in election last week. https://t.co/ojhLpndDqw
Imran Khan's Party Names PM Candidate As Pak Government Formation Drags On https://t.co/do01Ulnoxs https://t.co/pj6jHGR9Ze
Protesters in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, demonstrate against election results. Workers and supporters of different political parties blocked all main highways linking Balochistan with other provinces in protest over vote rigging in #Pakistan. https://t.co/cG294cnjSe
The question posed by Pakistan’s election evokes an old theme: how long can the country’s relentless decline continue before it triggers a revolution, outside intervention or—hope against hope—political renewal? https://t.co/8AHrpJGzGT 👇
Even through a rigged election, Pakistanis managed to deliver a rebuke to the army. They voted for a change in the old way of doing politics. Yet they look likely to get more of the same https://t.co/orAMlcdlVR 👇
Pakistan’s post-election landscape is characterized by a dangerous combination of diminishing resources, an authoritarian elite clinging to power, and an institutional vacuum, warns @UniofOxford’s @AdeelMalikOx. https://t.co/VTIfuqIyxX