Commonwealth Report Criticizes Pakistan 2024 Election Fairness, Highlights PTI Disadvantages

The Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) released a detailed report on Pakistan's 2024 general elections, highlighting significant concerns about the fairness and transparency of the process. The report criticized key institutional decisions, including the Election Commission of Pakistan and Supreme Court rulings, which notably impacted the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party led by imprisoned leader Imran Khan, such as the denial of PTI's election symbol and restrictions on political freedoms. Observers pointed to measures like the shutdown of cellular services on election night, which reduced transparency and hindered timely result transmission, and cited multiple convictions against Khan as factors that limited PTI's electoral competitiveness. Despite PTI winning the most seats, the party was denied government formation, with coalition agreements favoring the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz and the Pakistan People’s Party. The COG acknowledged positive steps by the Election Commission in promoting gender inclusivity and youth participation but stressed that the overall electoral environment did not provide a level playing field. The group called for reforms to strengthen democratic institutions, election administration, political rights, and media regulation to enhance future electoral credibility in Pakistan.