Monthly Event Reports
January 2024 | Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) experiences setbacks ahead of the general election
On 30 January, former Prime Minister Imran Khan received a 10-year jail sentence for revealing state secrets. The following day, an anti-graft court imposed a 14-year sentence on Khan for illegally selling state gifts. In another setback, the Supreme Court upheld the Election Commission’s decision to strip PTI of its signature cricket bat symbol, citing irregularities in recent intra-party elections. This move was criticized for denying voters the chance to identify the party in upcoming elections, particularly in a country with low literacy rates, and forcing PTI candidates to run as independents. PTI alleges that the government (possibly acting through the army) launched a crackdown on its members after the 9 May riots, resulting in the imprisonment and forced resignations of many of its members. Furthermore, the Supreme Court in January scrapped a lifetime ban on politicians with convictions from holding office, with disqualifications now limited to five-year terms. The ruling makes it possible for Nawaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party to run for office, while Khan remains prohibited due to his five-year ban from a prior conviction. Human rights bodies have expressed concerns that recent developments undermine the fair competition and credibility of the upcoming election.
February 2024 | General election delivers hung parliament
Pakistan held its general election on 8 February to elect representatives for the National Assembly and the prime minister. Preliminary election results show that independent candidates won 101 of the 336 National Assembly seats, the majority of which are affiliated with jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), headed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, came in second with 75 seats, and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) secured 54 seats. With no single party securing an outright majority, the formation of a government remained uncertain, leaving the decision on the next prime minister in limbo. On 13 February, it was announced Sharif’s PML-N would form a coalition with PPP and other junior parties, allowing them to gain a simple majority - with Shehbaz Sharif nominated to resume the premiership. Voter turnout was 47.8 per cent, down from 51.9 per cent in 2018. Despite a record number of women registered to vote, the turnout for women voters remained low. A record 12 women secured seats in the National Assembly, up from 8 elected in the previous election. The election was marred by controversy and violence, including allegations of electoral fraud, poll rigging, internet disruptions, and mobile service suspensions due to two separate bomb blasts near election candidates’ offices on the eve of the election. The significant delay in announcing election results also fuelled suspicions of political engineering.
December 2023 | Crackdown on Baloch protesters
On 20 December, law enforcement resorted to using excessive force, including tear gas, batons, and water cannons, against peaceful demonstrators participating in the women-led "Baloch Long March." Protesters were demonstrating against the persistent repression and human rights violations in the province of Balochistan, specifically in relation to extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. Home to a two-decade long Baloch nationalist insurgency (a low-intensity conflict) and about 5 per cent of Pakistan’s population, the region accounts for 2,752 of the 10,078 enforced disappearances an independent commission has recorded nationwide since 2011. On 21 December 2023, authorities arrested more than 300 activists in Islamabad. The crackdown was widely criticized by human rights organizations, eventually leading to the detainees’ release. However, a significant number of activists remain in police custody with cases filed against them, according to Amnesty International and various rights groups.
November 2023 | Forced return of Afghan refugees and undocumented migrants
Pakistan initiated a nationwide crackdown on foreign nationals it deemed illegal residents, declaring 1 November as the deadline for nearly 2 million unregistered Afghans to leave the country. The deportation policy has widely been criticized by human rights groups and the UN, citing concern that those forcibly returned face Taliban persecution and a humanitarian crisis, particularly acute for vulnerable groups like women, girls, and minorities. On 27 November, Human Rights Watch reported that Pakistani authorities have committed widespread abuse in compelling Afghan nationals to leave, including ill-treatment, arbitrary arrests and detention, and destruction of property and identity documents.
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