The Commonwealth has released a damning final report on Pakistan's 2024 general election, criticising the fairness of the vote and warning that voters' 'fundamental political rights' were restricted. The report, published more than 18 months after the election, highlights significant issues including the treatment of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
Despite PTI-backed independents winning 92 seats, the party was denied the chance to form a government. Instead, a coalition between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) saw Shehbaz Sharif reinstalled as prime minister. The Commonwealth Observer Group noted that PTI's ability to contest the election fairly was 'consistently limited'.
The report criticises the non-allocation of the bat symbol to PTI, forcing its candidates to run as independents, and describes the consequences as 'vastly disproportionate' to the offence the decision sought to address. It also highlights concerns over court decisions, including the conviction of Imran Khan days before the election, and limitations on freedom of association and assembly.
Media coverage was also criticised, with state-owned Pakistan Television Corporation showing bias towards PML-N and PPP, while broadcasters were reportedly prevented from mentioning Imran Khan by name. The report notes a 'culture of impunity' for violence against journalists, which may have led to self-censorship.
The Commonwealth group also flagged discrepancies between polling station results and tabulated results, which may have led to some candidates being 'unlawfully returned'. Earlier this month, PTI accused the Commonwealth of suppressing the report.
