ORF The Neighbourhood Scope | Elections 2024 | More than two months after the conclusion of the much-anticipated general elections in Pakistan, the status quo in the country is still fragile. Even as the independents backed by the PTI won the most number of seats- defying the establishment’s attempts to push Imran Khan’s party towards obscurity- it fell short of a majority. The PML-N and PPP along with other smaller parties formed a coalition government, with Shehbaz Sharif appointed as the Prime Minister on March 4. Since the return of his brother and PML-N supremo, Nawaz Sharif, the dalliance between the establishment as well as the party is all but evident. In the backdrop of these political machinations, the country’s economy continues to be in the doldrums, with inflation reaching close to 30% and the foreign exchange reserves fast depleting. The deteriorating relationship with the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and the consequent increase in attacks inside the country by the TTP have also severely affected the country’s security situation.
How will Pakistan fare in the next few months with the new coalition government in power and its purported aim of stabilising the country? How sustainable will this second attempt at forming a hybrid government in Pakistan be and how will the military respond to any impending differences? Will Imran Khan be successful in leveraging his party to present a strong opposition against the incumbent government? What effect will this instability have on the country’s quest to secure another loan from the IMF to stabilise its economy?
This event was part of the series “The Neighbourhood Scope,” a monthly feature of the Strategic Studies Programme that intends to rekindle key conversations, questions, and debates concerning India’s neighbourhood.
Speakers:
Husain Haqqani, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute; Former Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States
Sushant Sareen, Senior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, India
Marvi Sirmed, Journalist and Human Rights Advocate, Pakistan
Indrani Bagchi, CEO, Ananta Aspen Centre, India
Moderator: Ajay Bisaria, Former High Commissioner to Pakistan, India
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