After years of political uncertainty in Pakistan, the 2024 general elections were touted as a major democratic resurgence.

Instead, the National Assembly polls triggered a sweeping military control and constitutional consolidation over Pakistan’s domestic politics since the former military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq.

The elections witnessed systemic rigging, voter suppression, and manufactured outcomes that dominated political discussions.

The military spy unit, the Inter-Services Intelligence, and the Directorate of Military Intelligence allegedly became the arbiters of the election results.

These military institutions marginalised the most popular political formation, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, pre- and post-elections.

The larger outcome of the elections was the 26th and 27th Constitutional Amendments that essentially redrew Pakistan’s civil-military relations.

The National Assembly elections were the precursor to what was to come. The military ensured that PTI lost its poll symbol, forcing its candidates to contest as independents.

Yet, it did not stop the PTI-backed candidates from emerging as the single largest bloc in the National Assembly post the results.

This was achieved by PTI despite the calculated crackdown on its leadership, preventing the party’s media visibility, and restrictions on its poll campaign.

The final poll outcome was a stalemate, with not a single political party in a position to form a government on its own.

The military had to draw up a compromise plan between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of Shehbaz Sharif and the........

© Eurasia Review