Pakistan: PTI supporters decry pre-election crackdown

Last week, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled that former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party could not use the party's cricket bat symbol on ballots, which essentially means thousands of PTI candidates will have to run as independents in upcoming polls as election symbols are essential to identifying parties on ballots. 

Many areas in Pakistan have high illiteracy rates, and PTI party officials have said that without the cricket bat symbol, some Pakistanis might not be able to recognize PTI candidates on the ballot during the elections set for February 8.  

PTI candidates will now have to choose individual symbols instead of all running under the cricket bat. The symbol stripping is the latest move by election officials that the PTI said is meant to create barriers keeping the party from contesting the elections. 

Pakistan's caretaker government and election officials deny trying to sideline the PTI. However, Khan's sister, Aleema Khan, told DW that authorities are systematically repressing the party and its members.  

She claimed intelligence agencies were harassing her family members and party leaders, and some of the party's candidates were abducted, harassed and tortured.

"All institutions of the country are helpless," Aleema told DW. "The police and courts say they receive orders from the high-ups."

Khan still in prison

Imran Khan, a former cricket hero in Pakistan, served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, when he was ousted in a vote of no confidence. Once a friend to the country's powerful military, Khan blamed the military for conspiring with the opposition to remove him from power. His removal galvanized supporters around Pakistan, who carried out multiple large marches and protests in the aftermath. 

Khan is currently behind bars on corruption charges he has said are politically motivated. He was also disqualified from contesting in elections, although his PTI remains immensely popular with voters. After Khan was arrested in May 2023, violent protests by his supporters were quashed by authorities and thousands were imprisoned.

Aleema Khan claimed her brother was offered the opportunity "to leave the country or stay quiet for two years" in exchange for prosecutors dropping cases against him. Despite his alleged refusal, she said she was confident her brother would emerge triumphant.

"He is still the most popular leader and this could be proved by all the surveys that have been recently conducted. These are all concocted charges that cannot break his will to serve this country," she said. 

Reports of PTI members cutting ties with Khan after being detained

The PTI leaders are not the only ones claiming their party is being deprived of an equal playing field ahead of the February 8 election. Many independent observers also believe that the state is using coercive apparatus against the party of former prime minister Khan.

A number of his party leaders were allegedly detained and resurfaced days after their disappearance to announce they were leaving the party and distancing themselves from Khan.  

Fouzia Kulsoom Rana, an Islamabad-based journalist, said there has been a total blackout of PTI on national media, and the party has not been allowed to hold public gatherings or corner meetings within their election campaign.  

Bilal Ijaz Gilani, executive director of Gallup Pakistan, said the PTI has not received much media coverage.

"During the past many months, we have seen that the PTI share among those who appear on TV talk shows has fallen sharply," he told DW.

Zohra Yusuf, former head of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, said he believes the claims of PTI members facing harassment and discrimination are correct.

"There were reports of candidates not being allowed to file nomination papers," he told DW.

What does the government say?

The Pakistani government vehemently rejected these allegations and called them groundless.

"Nothing new, the same baseless accusations that are not even worth commenting," spokesperson for the Punjab government Amir Mir told DW.

Syed Nadeem Haider, spokesperson for the Elections Commission of Pakistan, also dismissed the idea of an anti-PTI clampdown.

Haider told DW that all complaints made by Khan's party were entertained and addressed. Commenting on the rejected nomination papers, he said this happened purely "on technical grounds or on account of various deficiencies."

"More than 75% of such nomination papers were accepted in appeals after the candidates provided missing information or documents," Haider said.

"We are trying to perform our constitutional duties in a fair manner and will address any legitimate complaint made by any party," he said. "We are not siding with any political party, nor are we discriminating against the PTI."

Edited by: Wesley Rahn