Pakistan’s greatest failure, however, has been in developing a workable political system. For more than two decades after its creation in 1947, the country struggled to agree on a constitution and failed to hold general elections. The first ostensibly free and fair election, held under military rule in 1970, in response to huge pressure from civilians, led to civil war and the transformation of the country’s eastern wing into the independent state of Bangladesh. Ten more elections since then have either been disputed by the loser or resulted in governments that could not complete their terms.
It’s not been a great couple of years for Pakistan’s Imran Khan. Since his ouster as Prime Minister in an April 2022 no-confidence vote, the cricketer-turned-politician has been shot, hit with over 180 charges ranging from rioting to terrorism, and jailed in a fetid nine-by-11-foot cell following an Aug. 5 corruption conviction for allegedly selling state gifts. As Pakistan approaches fresh elections on Feb. 8, the 71-year-old’s chances of a comeback appear gossamer thin, despite retaining broad public support.
