Pakistan Elections 2024: On Thursday, Pakistan’s 12.8 crore voters will select a new government, with the all-powerful Pakistan Army keeping a close eye on the proceedings. The primary candidates for the top position are Nawaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari of the Pakistan Peoples Party, and the candidates of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. However, analysts have noted that Nawaz Sharif enjoys the support of the Pakistan Army. The events on February 8 appear to be more of a selection than an election since the Pakistani Army has made clear to us in recent days what kind of outcome they hope to achieve in the next elections. They want Nawaz Sharif to be chosen, Ajay Bisaria, the former Indian high commissioner to Islamabad, said news agency ANI.
General Asim Munir, the head of the Pakistan Army, will increase his control over the nation’s political establishment in the 2024 election. The significance of the elections stems from the fact that Imran Khan, a popular civilian politician, challenged the Army’s hegemony for the first time in Pakistani history. Imran Khan is facing significant consequences for confronting the Pakistan Army’s authority and is anticipated to spend several years in prison, or until the military loses interest in the current government.
Nawaz Sharif assumed Imran Khan’s position when he was imprisoned in 2017 on multiple corruption charges. The leader of the PML managed to flee the country and only returned in October 2023, at which point all the accusations against him mysteriously disappeared. – Pakistan Elections 2024
Why is the result of the 2024 Pakistani election so important to India?
New Delhi must closely monitor all activities in its neighboring country ahead of the elections, particularly the Pakistan Army’s involvement in selecting the next prime minister. India has consistently questioned Pakistan’s ongoing support for terrorism, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has taken a stricter stance on national security matters.
India has encountered Pakistan’s generals assuming control of the country in the past. However, General Munir’s pursuit of increased authority may diverge from previous scenarios. Despite the prevailing belief in Delhi that Pakistan remains static and its generals will persist in their grip on power, Munir’s ascendancy suggests a shifting landscape where the traditional order in Pakistan is facing mounting challenges,” remarked geopolitical analyst C. Raja Mohan to The Indian Express.
In his recent statements, Nawaz Sharif has shown a willingness to engage with India and has recognized the global progress made by our neighboring nation. However, the manifesto of his party asserts a willingness to pursue peace with India only if New Delhi reverses its decision to revoke Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
Ratnavali