Pakistan People's Party

• Shock results in Pakistan’s national election threaten to see the country free-fall into political crisis.
• Days after the election, it remains unclear which party (or parties) will form a government and who the next prime minister will be.
• Independent candidates affiliated to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Pakistan Movement for Justice/PTI), the party of former prime minister, Imran Khan, won 95 of 264 seats.
• The country has been under military rule for nearly as much time as it has been under a civilian government.

Close contest

• Behind the scenes, Sharif and his PML-N is negotiating power-sharing with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s Pakistan People Party (PPP).
• He is also hoping to co-opt some of Khan’s PTI-backed candidates, and is showing some success.
• If he manages to put together a coalition, Sharif will come to power with much baggage.

Stability is unlikely

• These results meant the Awami League had won an outright majority to govern the whole of Pakistan.
• East Pakistan became Bangladesh and West Pakistan simply became Pakistan.
• Over half a century later, it is unlikely that Khan will stay quiet if his party is denied power.

Pakistan’s economy is in crisis

• The cost of essentials such as wheat, sugar and vegetables are now unaffordable for many ordinary people whose wages are being stretched to breaking point.
• The number of people living in poverty in Pakistan has climbed to nearly 40%.
• And price hikes for electricity and fuel in September 2023 led to protests, with thousands taking to the streets and burning their electricity bills.

Parveen Akhtar has previously received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council and the British Academy.