Pakistan: Imran Khan's Nomination Papers Rejected

Facts

• The Election Commission of Pakistan has rejected former Prime Minister Imran Khan's nomination papers for parliamentary elections scheduled for February, a decision the jailed leader's lawyers have deemed politically motivated and vowed to appeal.¹
• Khan — who has sought to contest in the constituencies of Islamabad, Lahore, and Mianwali — has previously been disqualified for five years due to a three-year conviction for 'corrupt practices' that hasn't been set aside, despite the Islamabad High Court suspending his sentence.²
• In August, the 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician was jailed for unlawfully selling state gifts during his tenure between 2018 and 2022. Last week, Khan's plea to have his disqualification from contesting the elections suspended was dismissed.³
• Since he was ousted from premiership last year in an alleged US-backed conspiracy, Khan has claimed that the country's powerful military has conspired with traditional parties to crush his own, Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI), and prevent him returning to office.⁴
• Several other high-profile members of PTI have had their nomination papers rejected, including former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and former Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid. However, candidates can appeal the decisions by Jan. 3.⁵

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²DAWN, ³The Guardian, ⁴Al Jazeera and ⁵GEO.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Pakistan Today. There is no doubt that PTI candidates have been fighting an uphill battle against the establishment in an electoral process that is all but free and fair. Pre-poll rigging and abuse of authority, as well as unwavering incidents of harassment against and unlawful detention of its leaders and supporters, expose the failure of the electoral body in performing its duties.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Pakistan Observer. It was clear from the beginning that the jailed politician wouldn't be allowed to contest the 2024 elections after his conviction and disqualification. Yet, although he was very well aware that the election commission would reject his candidature, Imran Khan filed these nomination papers so that he could cry foul and rouse his supporters. It is Khan who is undermining democracy in Pakistan.

Predictions