Commonwealth report flags curbs on PTI, media bias and vote irregularities in Pakistan’s 2024 polls
(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
The Commonwealth Observer Group has finally dropped its report on Pakistan’s 2024 general elections, and it’s sparking big debates. The group points out serious issues that limited basic political rights and made it tough for one major party—Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)—to compete on equal terms. This comes after the February 8 polls, which already faced widespread accusations of election rigging.
Released on Tuesday via a press statement, the 161-page report highlights how shutting down cellular services on election night hurt transparency and slowed down result reporting. Media outlets like Dawn noted that the findings stirred controversy, with earlier reports claiming the Commonwealth tried to bury the document because it exposed deep problems in the voting process.
In a key letter from group chair Goodluck Jonathan, a former Nigerian president, the report zeros in on PTI’s struggles. It slams the denial of the party’s iconic bat election symbol, back-to-back convictions of founder Imran Khan, and curbs on freedoms like assembly and association. “When viewed alone, some justifications from key institutions seem reasonable,” Jonathan wrote. “But together, they clearly tilted the playing field against one party.”
The biggest blow? Pakistan’s Supreme Court yanked PTI’s bat symbol just weeks before voting day over claims the party skipped required internal elections. This left PTI candidates running as independents, without a clear party badge to rally voters. The report calls this punishment way out of proportion to the issue.
It also flags Imran Khan’s quick convictions in three cases right before the polls, plus heavy restrictions on PTI supporters’ rights. Journalists faced their own hurdles, with limits on free speech and a pattern of unpunished attacks leading to self-censorship, the group says.
At the heart of PTI’s election rigging allegations lies the Forms-45 controversy. The observers reviewed evidence in several areas showing these vote tally sheets might have been tampered with—changing candidate totals and feeding into official results on Forms-47. This could have wrongly declared winners, they warn. The report adds mismatches between agents’ copies of Forms-45 at polling stations and those handed to officials, plus a bunch of altered Forms-46.
On media coverage, English-language news did a decent job staying fair and accurate, but PTI-linked independents got less upbeat airtime. State broadcaster PTV News, however, showed clear bias, focusing heavily on rivals like PML-N and PPP. Broadcasters even got orders not to say Imran Khan’s name, sticking to “PTI chair” instead.
The report calls out inconsistent court rulings too, like flipping a lifetime ban on politicians while blocking PTI’s symbol. Still, it gives credit to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for steps toward fairer elections, such as closing the gender gap in voter registration and launching a hotline for women.
Despite the flaws, the observers see hope for Pakistan’s democracy. “Pakistan boasts a lively, diverse media landscape, with women and youth more involved than ever, and civil society groups pushing hard for change,” the press release notes. Overall, though, these problems hurt the elections’ credibility, transparency, and inclusivity.
The report landed with Commonwealth Secretary General on November 20, 2024, but no one explained the delay in making it public. PTI has pushed hard for its release, saying it proves systemic rigging, bias from institutions, and targeted attacks on the party and Imran Khan. As Pakistan elections 2024 scrutiny ramps up, this could fuel more calls for reforms.
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