ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani non-profit organization, which seeks to strengthen democratic governance by focusing on policy research and legislative development, said on Wednesday the recent elections received the lowest election fairness score in nearly a decade while asking the relevant authorities to investigate the deficiencies observed during the electoral contest.
The Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) has been publishing election assessments since 2002.
PILDAT’s recent report, released nearly a month after Pakistan’s general elections, which were marred by a countrywide cellphone service shutdown and delays in announcing election results, has created widespread suspicion of vote fraud, a claim denied by the country’s election authorities.
The organization’s assessment of the 2024 polls indicates a concerning decline in fairness scores compared to previous election cycles.
“Overall fairness of the 2024 General Election in Pakistan received a score of 49 percent which is three percentage points lower than the score received for the 2018 General Election,” PILDAT informed. “Fairness assessment scores for the 2013 and 2018 elections stood at 57 percent and 52 percent, respectively.” X
It observed there were considerable delays in the scheduling of the elections during the pre-poll phase, which also witnessed a lack of impartiality within the temporary caretaker setup.
Additionally, the suspension of cellphone and Internet services not only compromised the election management system but also hindered public participation on election day.
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 calls on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct a thorough investigation into the delays and deficiencies observed during the 2024 General Election, particularly in result compilation, transmission and consolidation,” it added.
Political parties in Pakistan have raised objections to the election results and resorted to street protests.
The outcome of the polls has also prompted former prime minister Imran Khan’s party to question the legitimacy of the present National Assembly itself.
Pakistan 2024 election fairness score plummets to lowest since 2013 – PILDAT
https://arab.news/yhjfn
Pakistan 2024 election fairness score plummets to lowest since 2013 – PILDAT
- The organization demands the election commission to investigate the deficiencies observed during the national polls
- Political parties in Pakistan have resorted to street protests against election results, but the authorities deny vote fraud
Pakistan transporters call off five-day strike after successful talks with Punjab government
- Transporters went on strike against heavy fines, penalties imposed by Punjab over traffic violations
- Punjab government sets up committee to resolve transporters issues, confirms provincial minister
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani goods transporters called off their five-day-long nationwide strike on Friday after successful talks with the Punjab government, officials and transporters confirmed, as the business community warned of an impending economic crisis if the dispute stayed unresolved.
Transporters went on a nationwide strike on Dec. 8 against stringent traffic rules and heavy fines imposed by the Punjab government over traffic violations. These penalties were included in the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 2025 last month.
The ordinance details hefty fines ranging from Rs2000 [$7] to Rs50,000 [$178] and mentions prison sentences going up to six months for various offenses committed by drivers, such as driving on the wrong side of the road or driving in vehicles with tinted windows.
“Yes, the strike has been called off after our meeting with Senior Minister of Punjab Marriyum Aurangzeb,” Nabeel Tariq, president of the All Pakistan Goods Transport Association (APGTA), told Arab News.
Tariq said fines ranging from Rs1000 ($3.6) to Rs1500 ($5.4) for traffic violations have been increased to around Rs20,000 ($71.3) as per the new rules.
He said the APGTA has agreed to accept a 100 percent or even 200 percent hike in fines. However, he said an increase of 2000 percent was not “logical.”
“Our urgent demands have been accepted and a committee has been formed to review the ordinance and come up with recommendations,” Tariq said.
Speaking to Arab News, Aurangzeb confirmed the strike had been called off after talks with the Punjab government and that a committee has been formed to resolve the transporters’ issues.
The committee will be headed by Aurangzeb and will include representatives of goods transporters, a statement issued by her office said.
“The government wants to protect human lives and make things better for all citizens,” the statement said. “We will resolve the issues (with transporters) amicably.”
‘UNPRECEDENTED CRISIS’
Pakistan’s business and industrial community, meanwhile, warned of an impending crisis if the disputed was not resolved.
The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) and the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) have both appealed for immediate government intervention.
Imdad Hussain Naqvi, president of the Grand Transport Alliance Pakistan (GTAP), told Arab News that over 400,000 goods carriers had been stranded across Pakistan due to the strike, affecting supplies to millions of consumers.
Earlier, in a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, APTMA Chairman Kamran Arshad said the strike has “critically impacted import and export operations which are backbone of the country’s economy.”
He said hundreds of cargo vehicles remain stranded across Punjab, creating “abnormal delays” in goods movement and triggering heavy demurrage, detention charges, missed vessels and production shutdowns due to the non-availability of raw materials.
Arshad warned the disruption poses “a serious risk of order cancelation of export orders by international buyers, which would have far-reaching consequences for Pakistan’s foreign exchange earnings.”
Meanwhile in Pakistan’s commercial hub Karachi, KCCI President Rehan Hanif issued an even stronger warning, saying the nationwide strike threatens to paralyze Pakistan’s economic lifeline.
“The complete suspension of cargo movement is pushing Pakistan toward an unprecedented trade and industrial crisis,” Hanif said in a statement.
He added that import and export consignments are now stranded at the city’s ports, highways and industrial zones.
