ISLAMABAD – Eighteen months after Pakistan went to the polls, the Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) has finally released its delayed final report on the 2024 general elections—an assessment that casts serious doubts on the vote’s credibility.
The 161-page document, unveiled this week, cites widespread irregularities, curbs on political freedoms, and systematic disadvantages against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The denial of PTI’s iconic bat symbol, the mass arrests of its members, and sweeping restrictions on assembly “seriously undermined the level playing field,” the observers concluded.
The report further noted that a string of convictions against Khan in the run-up to election day raised additional questions over fairness. On polling night itself, the suspension of mobile services “significantly hampered transparency” and slowed the transmission of results, according to the findings.
Discrepancies in Forms 45, 46, and 47—documents central to vote tallying—were flagged as evidence of manipulation. The COG highlighted instances where counts recorded by polling agents differed sharply from those ultimately published by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Media conduct also came under scrutiny. State-run broadcasters were accused of favoring the PML-N and PPP, while PTI-backed independents were marginalized. Reports of censorship, including directives barring mention of Khan’s name, deepened concerns about press freedom.
Still, the observers acknowledged some progress: narrowing the voter gender gap, bolstering youth participation, and launching a gender harassment hotline were among the ECP initiatives praised.
Former Nigerian president and COG chairperson Dr. Goodluck Jonathan struck a nuanced tone, noting that while certain decisions carried legal justification, “their cumulative effect disadvantaged one political party.”
The report recommends sweeping reforms to protect political rights, strengthen institutions, and ensure media independence. Yet its delayed publication—coming more than a year after leaked drafts already hinted at massive irregularities—has itself raised eyebrows.
Concluding, the COG declared that restrictions on rights, pre-poll irregularities, and discrepancies in results “undermined the credibility, inclusiveness, and transparency of the electoral process.” For Pakistan, the findings reawaken questions that never truly faded: was the 2024 vote free, fair, or even legitimate?
