Pakistan’s Democracy Questioned: Commonwealth Exposes Military’s Hand in Poll Manipulation

ANN News 

Global Spotlight on Pakistan: Commonwealth Report Details Pre-Poll ‘Engineering’ Against PTI

 

ISLAMABAD — The long-awaited final report by the Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) on Pakistan’s 2024 general elections has delivered a scathing indictment, confirming what many inside and outside the country have long alleged: the political playing field was systematically tilted against Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

 

 

https://x.com/annnewskashmir/status/1972290447575011743?s=48

 

 

 

 

 

While the COG report maintains a diplomatic tone, its findings are damning. It documents judicial, administrative, and legal obstacles—including the denial of PTI’s “bat” electoral symbol and the forced registration of candidates as independents—that effectively crippled the party’s ability to contest fairly. Both international observers and domestic critics interpret the report as indirect but unmistakable confirmation of the military and intelligence establishment’s role in shaping the outcome.

 

 

 

A Pre-Election Assault on PTI

The Commonwealth team wrote of “a number of factors in the pre-election period that significantly impacted the level playing field,” concluding that these decisions “consistently limited one party’s ability to contest the election on equal terms.”

 

Judicial Crackdown on Imran Khan:
The arrest of Imran Khan months before the polls, followed by a barrage of swift convictions in the days leading up to the vote, effectively removed PTI’s most influential figure from the campaign. The COG noted with concern how court decisions restricted basic political rights—most severely for PTI and its supporters.

 

 

 

 

The Supreme Court’s ruling to strip PTI of its iconic “bat” symbol dealt a critical blow, particularly in a country where a large portion of voters are illiterate and rely on symbols to cast ballots. The COG described the decision as “vastly disproportionate,” echoing domestic critics who view it as a deliberate effort to fragment PTI’s support base.

 

Despite the state crackdown, PTI-backed independents still managed to secure 92 seats—outpacing PML-N’s 79 and PPP’s 54. However, the prolonged delay in announcing results raised suspicions of interference. These suspicions were dramatically reinforced by a confession from the Rawalpindi Commissioner, who admitted to orchestrating manipulations that turned “losers into winners” by altering massive vote margins.

Perhaps the most glaring instance of political engineering came after the vote. Despite emerging as the single-largest bloc, PTI-backed independents were denied the opportunity to form a government. Instead, a hurried coalition between Shehbaz Sharif’s PML-N and the PPP was installed—a move widely seen as ensuring a pliant civilian administration aligned with military interests.

 

The COG report does more than criticize election mechanics; it highlights the broader environment of intimidation in which the 2024 polls were conducted. It points to restrictions on freedom of assembly, curbs on media, and a “culture of impunity” for violence against journalists—factors that suppressed dissent and shielded powerful actors from scrutiny.

 

 

 

The verdict has only amplified calls, both domestically and internationally, for accountability. Critics argue that the report validates the widespread feeling of disenfranchisement among ordinary Pakistanis, many of whom believe their vote was deliberately undermined.

 

Parwaaz Academy and ANN NEWS are thrilled to announce the promo release for their revolutionary show: “UDAAN”

 

 

 

 

 

With its findings, the Commonwealth has joined a chorus of voices branding the 2024 general elections among Pakistan’s least credible in decades. Analysts say the report leaves little doubt that the military establishment not only retained its role as the ultimate powerbroker but also refined new tactics of election engineering to secure political outcomes favorable to its interests.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The result is a government born under a cloud of illegitimacy, struggling for credibility at home and abroad. For many observers, the report is a stark reminder that Pakistan’s fragile democracy remains hostage to unelected power centers—a reality that continues to erode public trust in the political system.