The Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (Pildat) has raised serious concerns about the state of democracy in Pakistan, particularly in its latest report, Quality of Democracy in Pakistan 2024. The report describes the February 8, 2024 general elections as “highly flawed” and a process that ultimately fractured the popular mandate. It highlights various issues impacting Pakistan’s democracy, including the limitations placed on citizens’ political and electoral choices.
The report suggests that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, seeking to secure its fragile parliamentary majority, moved to alter the structure of the judiciary. A key move was the 26th Amendment to Pakistan’s Constitution, which modified the process for appointing leaders in the higher judiciary and divided it into two branches: one dealing with constitutional matters and the other with general cases. Although the amendment was resisted by Maulana Fazlur Rehman of JUI-F, its introduction raised concerns about political interference in the judiciary.
Additionally, Pildat criticized the hastily passed amendments extending the service tenures of the chiefs of the three defense services from three to five years, marking a historic change without martial law in place. This move further deepened the sense of political maneuvering to maintain control.
The report also emphasized the continued manipulation of political dynamics, where parties align with the establishment to weaken political opposition in exchange for short-term gains. It pointed to the increasing control over communication and social media, with restrictions on certain platforms, undermining citizens’ ability to express dissent.
Despite the grim situation, the report suggests that improving economic stability and the ongoing political dialogue between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) could offer some hope for resolving the political and economic challenges facing the country. Pildat stressed that a sustained dialogue is essential to achieve lasting solutions and stability.
