Zubair Qureshi
The Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development And Transparency (PILDAT) in its report issued on Wednesday has raised a big question mark on the authenticity, fairness and transparency of the February 8 general elections and held that the fairness element in the general elections dropped to the lowest since the general elections of 2013.
The think tank has also called upon the relevant authorities to probe into the allegations of unfair practices observed during the electoral contest.
The PILDAT has been publishing election assessments since 2002 and in the 2024 assessment report has highlighted various factors such as delay in announcing the election schedule during the pre-poll phase, the police and the local administration’s alleged partiality in the caretaker setup, stripping a political party of its election symbol and above all, suspension of cell phone and internet services across the country on the Election Day.
All these factors undermined the claim of transparency and neutrality of the electoral administration, the report said.
Moreover, suspension of cell phone and Internet services across the country not only disrupted communication but also impeded public participation on election day, further complicating the electoral landscape.
Following the completion of voting, the report further highlighted, the announcement of provisional results occurred beyond the deadline stipulated in Section 13(3) of the Elections Act, 2017, casting doubts on the credibility of the electoral process.
PILDAT’s assessment report released almost a month after the general elections also highlights the delay in announcing provisional results, saying it was in violation of the stipulated deadline outlined in the Elections Act, 2017. This delay cast doubts on the credibility of the electoral process, fueling speculation of potential electoral malpractice.
