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In a recent article for The Economist, Imran Khan, the founder and former chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), currently incarcerated, has expressed apprehensions about the legitimacy of the upcoming elections in Pakistan.

Khan argues that the caretaker governments in place at both the federal and provincial levels are constitutionally illegal due to their failure to hold elections within 90 days of dissolving parliamentary assemblies.

While the public is anticipating elections on February 8, Khan, who has faced various challenges since a vote of no confidence in April 2022, raises skepticism about the electoral process.

He points to the election commission’s actions, which he claims include defying the Supreme Court, rejecting PTI nominations, hindering internal party elections, and initiating contempt cases against PTI leaders for criticizing the commission.

“The country’s election commission has been tainted by its bizarre actions. Not only has it defied the top court but it has also rejected my Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party’s nominations for first-choice candidates, hindered the party’s internal elections and launched contempt cases against me and other PTI leaders for simply criticising the commission,” he wrote.

Khan contends that since his government’s removal, orchestrated by what he terms as “the establishment”—comprising the army, security agencies, and civil bureaucracy—the playing field for PTI has been anything but level. He alleges external interference, specifically from the United States, citing a State Department message urging his removal from the prime minister’s seat.

Despite subsequent protests and electoral victories in by-elections, Khan argues that the administration that replaced his government led to economic downturns, inflation, and currency devaluation within 18 months. He emphasizes the contrast between PTI’s governance, which garnered international praise, and the subsequent administration’s economic performance.

Khan claims that various measures have been taken to sideline him politically, including assassination attempts, abductions of party members, and legal harassment. Despite facing nearly 200 legal cases and being denied a normal trial, Khan states that PTI remains popular, with a 66 per cent approval rating, according to a recent poll.

The former prime minister also raises concerns about the return of Nawaz Sharif, a convicted former prime minister, speculating that Sharif may have struck a deal with the establishment for support in the upcoming elections.

Khan, who remains incarcerated on charges including treason, expresses doubt about the fairness of the electoral process, claiming that PTI is being denied its basic right to campaign.

He concludes by advocating for fair and free elections, “The only viable way forward for Pakistan is fair and free elections, which would bring back political stability and rule of law, as well as ushering in desperately needed reforms by a democratic government with a popular mandate. There is no other way for Pakistan to disentangle itself from the crises confronting it. Unfortunately, with democracy under siege, we are heading in the opposite direction on all these fronts.”

The Economist added an Editor’s Note stating, “The Pakistani government and the U.S. State Department deny Khan’s allegations of American interference, and Khan faces charges under the Official Secrets Act.”