General Election in Pakistan: A critical study

Abstract

An election is a critical component of democratic governance. In the formation of an elected government, elections play a decisive role. The Election Commission of Pakistan derives its authority from the constitution of Pakistan 1973. It deals with conducting elections in constitutional intervals. The Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan is the head of this institution. However, the forty-eight-year electoral history of Pakistan is full of accusations, rigging, and malpractices. The defeating parties do not accept the electoral results that create uncertainty, political instability, and erode democracy. The paper examines the "Part VIII of the constitution of Pakistan." It delves into the electoral history and critically evaluates the role of subsequent elected governments in manoeuvring the disagreements over the results of the General Election. It argues with electoral reforms and analyses their applicability in the next general elections. It answers why these reforms did not resolve electoral issues. The paper contributes to clarifying ambiguities that persist with elections. It identifies issues and suggests recommendations to make the electoral process transparent. This research is conducted using various approaches, i.e., critical, analytical, deductive, and qualitative.