Pakistan to hold general elections on February 11
What's the story
Pakistan will hold general elections on February 11, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said on Thursday. On August 9, President Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly, setting a 90-day mandate to hold fresh polls. While the deadline expires on November 7, the ECP said the process of drawing constituencies would be completed by January 29, therefore delaying the polls.
Context
Why does this story matter?
A no-confidence motion against Imran Khan was passed in April last year, ousting him from the seat of Pakistan's Prime Minister. A day later, Pakistan's parliament elected Shehbaz Sharif as the country's new prime minister. However, on Sharif's advice, the country's parliament was dissolved on August 9 amid political turmoil and an economic crisis. The upcoming polls are expected to salvage Pakistan.
Details
Petitions in Supreme Court for conduction of polls
The announcement came as the Supreme Court of Pakistan was hearing petitions for holding fresh polls in the country. Last month, the election commission said that polls would be held in January 2024. Interestingly, the decision coincides with the beginning of negotiations between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the release of a $710 million second tranche of a $3 billion loan.
PTI
Crackdown on PTI and Khan's arrest
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by Khan, has been the main opposition to Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (N). The PTI has seen a tremendous crackdown since 70-year-old Khan's ouster as PM. On August 5, Khan was sentenced to three years in jail in the Toshakhana corruption case. Notably, PTI still controls two out of four provinces in Pakistan: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.
Nawaz
Nawaz Sharif returns to Pakistan
Former PM of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif returned to his homeland on October 21. Nawaz, a three-time prime minister, had been living in self-imposed exile in London since November 2019 after he was disqualified by the Pakistan Supreme Court in 2017 for not declaring a receivable salary. His arrival follows an Islamabad court's decision to grant him protective bail in a number of cases.