Pakistan's Democracy Ranking Plummets in 2024 Amid Election Violence and Political Turmoil

Pakistan's Democracy Ranking Plummets in 2024 Amid Election Violence and Political Turmoil

According to the latest Democracy Index report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Pakistan's democracy ranking has fallen significantly from 3.25 in 2023 to 2.84 in 2024, reflecting the turmoil that surrounded the 2024 general election.

The report highlighted that political violence plagued the lead-up to and on polling day, February 8, 2024, with many questioning the integrity of the democratic process. Notably, Imran Khan, one of the country's most popular political figures, was imprisoned shortly before the elections, casting further doubt on the fairness of the event.

Despite these challenges, the 2024 elections saw Pakistan’s highest voter turnout in history, according to the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen). However, several critical issues raised concerns about the transparency and reliability of the election results.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) observed significant problems on polling day, including a nationwide internet and mobile service shutdown, which hindered voters' ability to access polling information. Furthermore, alterations to polling station details and delays in announcing election results raised suspicions about the fairness of the process.

HRCP election monitors, inspecting 51 constituencies, reported numerous irregularities. In about 20% of polling stations, the presiding officer failed to publicly display the count or share a photograph of the result with the returning officer and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Discrepancies between the results announced by the returning officer and those reported by the presiding officers were also noted.

Additionally, restrictions were imposed on candidates, polling agents, and observers, preventing them from witnessing the consolidation of provisional results. Geo Election Cell’s (GEC) own investigations revealed even more inconsistencies, with many ballot forms being altered and signs of vote manipulation in several polling stations.

The EIU's report also painted a grim picture of global democracy, showing a decline in democratic standards across the world. For the 16th consecutive year, Norway maintained its position as the world’s most democratic country, while Afghanistan remained at the bottom of the rankings. Bangladesh also saw a sharp decline, dropping 25 places in the index.