Pakistani election authorities have announced (🇵🇰) the next general election will take place in late January, instead of this coming November.
Pakistan hasn’t had an elected parliament since 9 August, and it’s facing the full spectrum of crises right now:
- 💸 The poverty rate remains stubbornly high at around 40%
- 📈 Energy prices have skyrocketed, triggering protests, and
- 🎖️ A series of political and institutional crises have eroded popular trust in institutions, further entrenching the military’s role.
So these election delays add to the air of uncertainty in Pakistan right now.
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Intrigue’s take: Of course, elections in Pakistan don’t exactly have a track record of restoring stability, either: in 76 years, no prime minister has completed their full five-year term. Toss the country’s nukes into the mix, and you have elections well worth watching.
Also worth noting:
- Former leader Imran Khan’s party won a majority of seats at the 2018 election, before being ousted in a no-confidence motion in 2022. He was arrested earlier this year on corruption charges.
- A court just extended Khan’s detention in relation to allegations he leaked a classified Pakistani cable. His supporters say the cable shows US involvement in Khan’s ousting. The US rejects these claims.