Tag: pakistan election results

Pakistan election 2024 | Imran Khan asks IMF to audit results before considering any bailout talks with new govt

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Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan on February 28 sent a letter to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), urging it to ensure the audit of at least 30% of national and provincial assembly seats before considering any further bailout talks with the cash-strapped country.

The 71-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party founder had announced last week that he would ask the global lender to avoid any assistance as the authorities rigged the electoral outcome to keep his party out of power.

His nominated chairman of the party, Gohar Ali Khan, addressing a press conference with party secretary General Omar Ayub Khan, confirmed the letter but he refused to share its content. A party spokesman also said that the letter would not be shared with the media until it was recognized by the party.

However, the Press Trust of India has seen a letter addressed to IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva by party spokesperson Raoof Hasan under the guidance of Khan. It begins with a clarification that the party was not against the IMF facility to Pakistan.

“It must be clarified at the very outset that the PTI does not wish to stand in the way of any IMF facility to the state of Pakistan that promotes the immediate as well as the long-term economic well-being of the country,” the letter read.

But it added that the IMF facility should be linked with conditions. “It is clear that such facility, along with the national commitment to bring about necessary reforms that facilitate repayment and enable the country to stand on its own feet, can only be negotiated in the best interests of the people of Pakistan by a duly elected government that has the trust of the people of Pakistan,” it stated.

The letter stated that the IMF is attached to good governance, transparency, upholding the rule of law and curbing corrupt practices while entering financing agreements with member countries.

“It is a well-established reality that a government without legitimate representation, when imposed upon a country, carries no moral authority to govern, and, in particular, to carry out taxation measures,” the letter said.

It further recalled that in the previous interaction between Khan and the IMF representatives last year, the party had “agreed to support IMF’s financing facility involving Pakistan on the condition and reassurance of a free and fair election”.

Allegations of rigging, fraud

The letter alleged that the February 8 general elections — which it said caused the public expenditure of ₹50 billion or $180 million — were “subjected to widespread intervention and fraud in the counting of votes and compilation of results”.

“This intervention and fraud have been so brazen that the IMF’s most important member countries, including the US, Britain, and countries forming part of the European Union, have called for a full and transparent investigation into the matter. “A mission of the European Union has carried out an examination of the general elections of February 8, 2024. The report of the said mission must be examined by the IMF and made available to the people of Pakistan,” the party said.

“In view of the policies and principles the IMF stands for, there should be no doubt that the abuse of power by a small number of holders of public office to impose their likes and dislikes on Pakistan’s populace as aforesaid, and thus to ensure their continuing personal gain, would not be promoted or upheld by the IMF,” the letter stated.

“We, therefore, call upon the IMF to give effect to the guidelines adopted by it with respect to good governance as well as conditionalities that must be satisfied prior to the grant of a finance facility that is to burden the people of Pakistan with further debt.

“An audit of at least 30% of the national and provincial assemblies’ seats should be ensured, which can be accomplished in merely two weeks,” the party demanded.

It also said that PTI was not calling for the IMF to adopt the role of an investigative agency itself, and suggested that two indigenous organisations, including the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) and PATTAN-Coalition38, had the proposed comprehensive methodologies to conduct the election audit. “Such a role by the IMF would be a great service to Pakistan and its people, and could become the harbinger of enduring prosperity, growth, and macroeconomic stability in the country,” the letter concluded.

IMF’s guarantee

Mr. Gohar said at the presser that the letter was not related to the ongoing programme of the IMF, but was about any new deal with the Government that would come to power as a result of the fraud in the future. Defending the letter, he said that writing a letter to the IMF was not surprising.

PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan said that before the launch of the previous loan, Iman Khan had asked the IMF for a guarantee of clean and transparent elections, which was given to him. According to him, at that time elections were supposed to be held in November, but then they did not take place and the subsequent elections held on February 8 were heavily rigged.

The current IMF programme is expected to conclude in the second week of April.

Official sources said that the new government would seek a fresh loan of about $6 billion from the IMF to help it address the issue of balance of payments. Pakistan last year avoided default after the IMF provided a $3 billion short term loan and it may face problems to meet external liabilities in case the new IMF loan is delayed.

Meanwhile, the IMF’s review mission is likely to visit Islamabad by the end of this month or early next month, provided the government formation at the federal and provincial levels is complete, according to media reports. The mission will finalise the salient features of the anticipated medium-term bailout package to Pakistan to avert a default on repayment of foreign debts.

Earlier, the IMF’s review mission was scheduled to visit the country in the first week of February, but the delegation refused to visit on the eve of the general elections.

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Pakistan parties intensify efforts to form coalition government after split verdict in February 8 elections

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The three main political parties in Pakistan on February 11 intensified their efforts for the formation of a coalition government after it became clear that the coup-prone country faced a hung Parliament after general elections marred by allegations of rigging.

The general elections were held on February 8, but the unusual delay in the announcement of results vitiated the atmosphere as several parties cried foul and some resorted to protests.

Former Prime Minister and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif received the backing of the powerful Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir on February 10 for his call for a unity government to pull Pakistan out of its current difficulties.

Amidst allegations of vote rigging and inordinate delay in announcing the results, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on February 11 published the results of 264 out of 265 contested seats in the 266-member National Assembly. The result of one constituency was withheld by the ECP due to complaints of fraud. Election to one seat was postponed after the death of a candidate.

Independent candidates, a vast majority of them backed by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), won 101 seats in the National Assembly.

They were followed by three-time former PM Mr. Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 75 seats, which technically is the single largest party in Parliament.

The Pakistan Peoples Party of Bilawal Zardari Bhutto got 54 seats, and the Karachi-based Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) of Urdu-speaking people who migrated from India during the Partition, got 17 seats. Other smaller parties won the rest of the 12 seats.

To form a government, a party must win 133 seats out of 265 contested seats in the National Assembly.

Overall, 169 seats are needed to secure a simple majority out of its total 336 seats, which include the reserved slots for women and minorities which will be decided later based on proportional representation.

The PML-N was leading the push to form the coalition government on the pattern of one it set up after Mr. Khan, 71, was removed as Prime Minister through a no-confidence vote in April 2022. Party supremo Mr. Sharif, 74, tasked his younger brother former premier Shehbaz Sharif to hold talks on the issue.

The PML-N leaders on Sunday held a meeting with MQM-P leaders in Lahore.

After an hour-long meeting, they have reached a “principle agreement” to work together in the upcoming government, according to a statement released by Mr. Sharif’s party.

“We will work together in the interest of the country and public,” the statement said, adding that basic points had been agreed upon by the two parties.

MQM-P leader Haider Rizvi earlier told Geo News in an interview that his party would be more comfortable with the PML-N as the “two parties don’t compete in Karachi” unlike the PPP or other parties.

PML-N President Shehbaz on February 10 met senior PPP leaders Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal on February 9 night and discussed the future coalition.

Mr. Shehbaz told the party leaders that former President and PPP leader Asif Zardari has demanded the Prime Minister’s slot for PPP Chairman Bilawal and major ministerial portfolios in exchange for support for the PML-N to form the government, sources said.

Party sources added that so far making a coalition with Mr. Zardari was the first option the PML-N was exploring but didn’t want to give away the slot of Prime Minister.

Sources claimed the meeting decided that in case the negotiations with the PPP failed, the PML-N would make a coalition government with MQM, JUI-F and other smaller parties, including independents.

They further claimed that in this scenario, the PML-N would make Shehbaz Sharif the Prime Minister and Maryam Sharif the Chief Minister of Punjab.

“Shehbaz Sharif is the favourite for the PM office for being more close to the military establishment besides the PML-N has more seats in Parliament than the PPP,” sources said.

“Shehbaz is a favourite of the military establishment which feels much comfortable working with him,” they said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bilawal, the 35-year-old former foreign minister said no one could form governments in the Centre, Punjab or Balochistan without his party’s support, and the PPP’s door was open to every political party for dialogue, as reconciliation was vital for political stability.

“So far, the PPP has not engaged officially with the PML-N, PTI or any other party. Once the results are finalised, then the Central Executive Committee of the party, which nominated me as the candidate, will sit again and devise the course of action,” he said.

It is believed that a newer version of the Pakistan Democratic Movement coalition, also called as PDM government, under Shehbaz Sharif was more likely based on the experience of running the government after Mr. Khan was removed.

Meanwhile, PTI leader Gohar Khan also claimed that his party would form the government but analysts believe that it was not possible.

Ahmed Bilal Mehboob of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), however, said the PTI is not in a position to form the government without forming an alliance with major political parties like the PML-N or the PPP as it doesn’t have the required number for claiming majority in the lower house of Parliament.

The PILDAT chief also explained in detail what would happen if the PTI-affiliated independent candidates could join the PTI again during the three-day post-election period, The Express Tribune newspaper quoted Mehboob as saying.

He said it was possible. However, Mehboob explained that it will be a long route as it is mandatory that the party that the independent candidates want to join must have a party symbol.

PTI candidates contested as independents after the Supreme Court and Election Commission of Pakistan said they could not use the party symbol, a cricket bat.

Therefore, he said, if they want to join the PTI again, the PTI will have to hold intra-party elections and get its symbol back or any other symbol.

The PTI has rejected the “shameful” attempts at creating PDM 2.0 in the country by trampling on the intentions of the people, a statement released by the party said.

“The economic and administrative disaster that Pakistan is suffering today is the responsibility of PDM, an incompetent, worthless and rejected group of criminals,” it said in a statement.

The statement said the PTI was the “largest and most popular party in the country” and it therefore had the basic constitutional, democratic, moral and political right to form a government.

“The chief election commissioner (CEC) and the Election Commission of Pakistan are the main facilitators in the open robbery of democracy,” it added.

The PTI also demanded the immediate resignation of the CEC and members of the ECP.

On February 10, a statement attributed to the army chief Gen Munir said, “Pakistan’s diverse polity and pluralism will be well-represented by a unified government of all democratic forces imbibed with national purpose.”

The powerful Pakistan Army, which has ruled coup-prone Pakistan for more than half of its 75-plus years of existence, has wielded considerable power in the country’s politics.

The Army chief noted that the people of Pakistan reposed their combined trust in the Constitution of Pakistan and it was now “incumbent upon all political parties to reciprocate the same with political maturity and unity.”

Pakistan President Dr Arif Alvi on February 11 said the voters, particularly women and youth, have “not only spoken but shouted out loud their will” in the general elections and urged all political parties and institutions to “respect and recognise” the huge mandate of the citizens.

Mr. Alvi was a senior member of PTI before former Prime Minister Imran Khan made him the country’s President in 2018.

Meanwhile, the PPP will hold its Central Executive Committee meeting at Mr. Zardari’s House in Islamabad on February 12.

According to the sources, important decisions related to the formation of the government will be taken in the meeting.

In an editorial on the election outcome, the Dawn newspaper commented that Pakistan once again finds itself in a familiar place — one that is steeped in political uncertainty.

“As the wheeling and dealing proceeds, two things are clear: one, that however the PML-N cobbles this coalition together, its ‘victory’ will be more bitter than sweet,” it said in an editorial.

Without the outcome it had hoped for, it is now left to perform that uneasy dance of give and take for political survival. This is certainly not the fantasy Mr. Sharif harboured when he returned to Pakistan after four years abroad, the editorial added.

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