 "Pakistan elections amid political, economic turmoil tomorrow: Details here")
Pakistan is all set to hold its Parliamentary elections on February 8 for the 16th National Assembly amid political and economic turmoil. The campaigning ended on February 6 for a mandatory cool-down period.
Pakistan Elections 2024: Who are the major contenders for prime minister?
Several candidates have announced their plans to run for the elections in the hope of becoming the prime minister of Pakistan. Still, according to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), only two are eligible.
The first one is Nawaz Sharif, who has been Pakistan's PM three times. He moved to the United Kingdom in 2019 for medical treatment after losing his prime ministership. Experts contend that he had lost the support of the Pakistani military. He was also convicted on charges of corruption. He has recently returned to the country. He will contest the elections on the ticket of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, a party he founded.
The second contender is Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Zardari comes from a family where his father, Asif Ali Zardari, served as the president of Pakistan, while his mother, the late Benazir Bhutto, and his maternal grandfather, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, served as prime ministers of the country in different periods. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was hanged to death in April 1979. Benazir Bhutto, who served as the PM twice, was assassinated in 2007 in Rawalpindi.
But what about Imran Khan?
Imran Khan, one of the most popular political leaders in the country, served as Pakistan's previous PM. However, he will not contest the elections owing to the ban imposed by the Election Commission.
Khan was ousted in 2022 after he lost the support of the military. In August last year, he was sent to jail on corruption charges. Now, for several cases, he has been sentenced to over 20 years in prison. Several other candidates from his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have been banned from elections.
More From This Section
So, who is running Pakistan currently?
After Khan's ouster last year, Nawaz Sharif's brother Shehbaz was chosen as Pakistan's PM. This coalition government was formed by PML(N) and PPP coming together. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari served as the foreign minister in this government. Sharif stepped down in August as his government was set to complete its tenure in September.
However, the elections were delayed, and Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar was appointed as the caretaker prime minister.
But why were the elections delayed?
The elections were delayed by several months as the country was redrawing its constituency boundaries. The election commission had said it would finalise the new constituencies by December 14, 2023.
Later, the EC said the redrawing would be completed by January 29. The Supreme Court of Pakistan directed the EC to meet President Arif Alvi and decide the date of the elections.
In court, EC said that the 2024 Pakistan elections would take place on February 11. Hours later, President Alvi announced that the polling would occur on February 8.
Also Read: From jail, Imran Khan asks supporters to wait by poll stations after vote
Also Read: From jail, Imran Khan asks supporters to wait by poll stations after vote
Pakistan's economic turmoil
The country is struggling with high debt and high inflation. As of September 2023, the country had debt worth $239.7 billion. Its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) stood at $340.6 billion. This meant its debt-to-GDP ratio was 77 per cent.
Moreover, the country has also struggled to secure a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund. It finally managed to get a $3 billion package from the IMF in July 2023. The IMF package was stuck due to the country's high fuel subsidies. Last year, the government let go of the subsidies and increased taxes.
This has increased fuel prices across the country, making essential commodities costlier. Pakistan's inflation rate is now around 30 per cent. Its currency has depreciated by around 50 per cent in the last two years.
However, the bailout package was approved in July last year for a period of nine months. This will end just around the time the new cabinet will be elected.
Pakistan elections 2024: Security issues also in focus
Along with political and economic instability, the country is also struggling with tensions on its borders. The focus is on its largely ungoverned western border. According to CFR, terror attacks alone killed over 1,500 people in 2023 in Pakistan. It was the deadliest year for terrorism-related fatalities since 2016.
The country has also had rising tensions with Afghanistan over alleged support for terrorist groups. Pakistan is also facing issues with Iran, and both countries have recently bombed each other.