Pak elections this year were less fair than two previous polls: Report

A Pakistan independent organisation on Wednesday stated that the latest general elections were less fair than the two previous polls and demanded an independent probe into the allegation of electoral fraud.

The Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) issued a report detailing its assessment of the recently concluded general election, expressing deep concerns over a decline in fairness.

Overall, the quality of General Election 2024 has scored 49% which is not only below 50% score but is also lower than the overall score of the past two elections 52% for GE-2018 and 57% for GE-2013 indicating greater concerns about the quality of the most recent General Election, PILDAT said in its report titled General Election 2024 Records Lowest Fairness Score Since 2013'.

These overall scores, particularly the steady decline in them since 2013, are emblematic of the weakening of the democratic processes in general and electoral system in particular in Pakistan and they underscore the urgent need to restore public confidence in the electoral system.

It said that within the 2024 election process, both part two of the polling day operations i.e. counting, compiling, transmission, consolidation, announcement of provisional results and the post-election process received the lowest scores of 40% indicating that these two areas were the weakest links in the electoral chain in General Election 2024.

PILDAT recommends that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) conducts a thorough and impartial investigation into delays in the transmission, consolidation, and announcement of provisional results, the lack of contingency planning for the Election Management System (EMS) inoperability, and the failure to publish signed copies of forms within the stipulated time frame.

The institute also calls for election tribunals to resolve disputes on a case-by-case basis within the legal deadline of 180 days, expressing concern over the insufficient number of election tribunals in Punjab. The think tank demands an increase in the number of election tribunals to ensure the timely resolution of all election petitions.

PILDAT also proposed the establishment of a commission of inquiry, similar to the one formed after the 2013 elections, to comprehensively investigate the concerns raised during the February 8 polls.

The comprehensive report, based on independent analysis and questionnaires scored by a diverse cross-section of civil society, highlights several issues that have adversely impacted the quality and credibility of the electoral process.