Pakistan’s voters tell the generals where to put it
Imran Khan’s candidates won the most seats despite heavy-handed attempts to hobble them
NO PARTY OBTAINED a majority in Pakistan’s election on February 8th. But the vote nonetheless produced a clear winner: Imran Khan, the imprisoned former prime minister who was barred from standing and whose party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was subject to a de facto ban.
Voters disregarded the hints to shun Mr Khan (pictured), casting their ballots for his candidates anyway. Members of the PTI, standing as independents, bagged 92 of the 264 parliamentary seats being voted on (70 reserved seats will be allocated proportionally). The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of Nawaz Sharif, Mr Khan’s chief rival and a three-time former prime minister, was widely expected to win. It limped in second with 75 seats.
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This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline "Generals, rejected"
Asia February 17th 2024
From the February 17th 2024 edition
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