Commonwealth Defends Delay in Pakistan Election Report Amid Growing Criticism
The Commonwealth has defended the nearly year-long delay in publishing its observer group’s findings on Pakistan’s 2024 general elections, insisting that the time required to finalize and release such reports “varies considerably.” The clarification came Tuesday after criticism mounted over what many viewed as an “extraordinary” delay that fueled suspicions of political sensitivity around the report’s contents.
The Commonwealth Observer Group (COG), which monitored Pakistan’s elections in February 2024, said its 160-page assessment was finalized by the end of that year and submitted to the Commonwealth Secretary-General on November 20. However, it was not released publicly until September 30, 2025—ten months after the vote.
“The length of time taken to write COG reports, and similarly, the finalisation and release of the publication, varies considerably with each COG,” the Commonwealth said in its statement. It pointed to factors such as legal challenges and disputes that can delay the process, noting that in this case, the report was shared first with the Pakistani government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) earlier this year.
The secretariat said it encouraged Pakistan to establish a domestic mechanism to address the report’s recommendations before making the findings public. Ultimately, it decided to release Pakistan’s report alongside two other outstanding election reviews—Mozambique and Botswana—at the end of September.
The statement came just days after 130 activists, lawyers, and journalists sent a joint letter to the Commonwealth Secretariat, warning that the delay undermined confidence in the organization’s commitment to transparency.
The COG report itself flagged serious concerns: the denial of an election symbol to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the convictions of party founder Imran Khan, restrictions on assembly, and allegations of altered vote counts on the controversial Form-45s. These factors, the report said, “consistently limited one party’s ability to contest the election on a level playing field.”
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, reacting to the Commonwealth’s explanation, sharply criticized the process.
“The Commonwealth Guidelines clearly state that election reports must be issued in a ‘timely manner, initially to key national stakeholders and then made public’ and specifically identify all ‘political parties taking part in the elections’ as key stakeholders. This was not done,” Raja said.
At the time of the polls, the Commonwealth mission, led by former Nigerian president Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, issued preliminary findings that downplayed the suspension of mobile services but noted the impact of legal decisions on candidates’ eligibility. The final report went further, spotlighting structural imbalances in Pakistan’s electoral environment.
Despite its defense, the Commonwealth promised to “continue to partner with stakeholders to ensure that COG reports are released in a timely manner,” reaffirming its commitment to the principles of transparency and democracy.
