WASHINGTON – Pakistan’s 2024 elections have been condemned as “the most brutally rigged elections in Pakistan’s history,” according to PTI leader Syed Zulfikar Bukhari. Speaking before the U.S. Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Bukhari decried a calculated effort to subvert democracy by silencing millions of voters and manipulating electoral machinery—from pre-election tactics to vote tabulation.
Bukhari recounted chilling details: PTI’s iconic cricket‑bat symbol was stripped away, candidates were disqualified, rallies banned, campaign banners destroyed, and party flags forcibly removed. In the lead‑up to February 8, 2024, PTI-affiliated candidates—forced to run as independents—won 170–180 seats, only to watch results mysteriously shift within 24 to 72 hours. One constituency with just 400 registered voters allegedly reported 450,000 votes, he claimed.
U.S. lawmakers, including Rep. Chris Smith, echoed these concerns, describing fundamental freedoms in Pakistan as “marked by rampant government violations”—highlighting media silencing, internet shutdowns, and political imprisonments, including former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife.
Bukhari also painted a grim scene of inhumane prison conditions—bugs and insects deliberately released into cells and 50 °C heat without cooling.
The hearing follows a March congressional resolution urging a “full and independent investigation” into these alleged electoral abuses—a move Pakistan criticized as misinformed and detrimental to bilateral relations.
As U.S. policymakers pressure for accountability, Bukhari’s testimony paints a stark picture: Pakistan’s February 2024 poll appears less a democratic exercise and more a carefully executed blackout. The fate of Pakistan’s democracy may now hinge on Washington’s response—and whether global scrutiny finally forces transparency in Pakistan’s elections.
