It’s not general elections but “general’s elections” in Pakistan with no signs of free-and-fair polls despite Imran Khan and his party Tehreek-e-Insaf being kept out, sources told CNN-News18 on Thursday.
Pakistan’s deep state suspended cellular networks in a bid to rig the polls, critics have alleged.
Millions of Pakistanis voted following a lacklustre election campaign overshadowed by the jailing of former prime minister Imran Khan, and the hobbling of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party by the military-led establishment.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is expected to win most seats, with analysts saying its 74-year-old founder Nawaz Sharif has won the blessing of the generals.
Countrywide disruption of cellular and internet services during polls irked the political parties and cast doubts on the transparency of the voting process.
Contestants from PTI had a difficult time, after the party was banned from using the cricket bat symbol under which all its candidates run. The move forced PTI-backed candidates, running as independents, to use other symbols instead.
The party also didn’t get fair access to polling stations, sources said.
PTI-nominated independent candidates’ polling agents were not being allowed to witness the counting at several polling stations, they added.
Election Commission-accredited journalists and media groups were also allegedly not allowed to witness and observe the polling process at many booths.
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