Politics

Pakistan's National Assembly has reopened under controversial circumstances, following elections the party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan claims were rigged.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan National Assembly opens as election disputes mar proceedings

Coalition poised to elect Shehbaz Sharif as PM amid fight over seat allocations

29 February 2024
Protesters in Lahore on Jan. 19 condemn Iran's attack on targets in Pakistani border areas: Public pressure played into both governments' actions. 
Opinion

Clash with Pakistan shows Iran must take its neighbors more seriously

Tehran should focus on frontier security rather than rely on cross-border strikes

28 February 2024
Maryam Nawaz arrives for a provincial assembly session in Lahore on Feb. 26, before her election as chief minister of Punjab province.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan's Nawaz Sharif passes torch as daughter Maryam elected Punjab chief

'Inexperienced' politician takes high-stakes role atop most populous province

26 February 2024
A portrait of former Pakistani army chief Raheel Sharif on a truck in Peshawar in 2023: The army has been downgraded in the public's estimation.
Opinion

Pakistan's army was the clear election loser

Defiant votes for Imran Khan's PTI reflect resentment of military interference

23 February 2024
Pakistan former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, left, and ex-President Asif Zardari are expected to reprise their roles after their parties struck a power-sharing deal. (Source photos by Reuters and AP)
Pakistan elections

Shehbaz Sharif and Asif Zardari, the duo poised to grab Pakistan's reins

Power-sharing deal ends deadlock as PML-N and PPP face treacherous task of governing

22 February 2024
News coverage of Pakistani strikes in Iran on Jan.18, two days after Tehran said it attacked militant bases in Pakistan.
Opinion

New Pakistan PM's foreign policy must focus on trade, not insurgents

Country cannot afford confrontational stance with three neighbors at once

20 February 2024
Supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), demand free and fair election results in Karachi on Feb. 17.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan's anti-Imran Khan coalition stuck on power-sharing formula

Fears of emergency rule grow as PML-N and PPP struggle to form government

20 February 2024
Chinese and Pakistani flags fly in Islamabad to mark 10th anniversary celebrations for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in July 2023. 
Pakistan elections

Pakistan vote elevates Belt and Road critic in key port of Gwadar

Activist wins provincial seat; analysts say China may have to heed complaints

18 February 2024
Protesters demand free and fair elections in Jamshoro, in Pakistan's province of Sindh, on Feb. 16. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party has called for separate nationwide protests, as it claims recent elections were rigged.
Pakistan elections

Imran Khan allies call Pakistan-wide protests over alleged vote rigging

Influential leader Fazal ur Rehman's tilt toward PTI raises alarm for Sharif camp

17 February 2024
Pakistan's former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaks in Lahore on Feb. 13. He is poised to return to power after being nominated as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's candidate, backed by a new coalition.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan coalition nominates Shehbaz Sharif to be next PM

Power-sharing still contentious, Imran Khan's opposition set to exert strong pressure

14 February 2024
PTI supporters in Peshawar block a highway to the capital on Feb. 13 in protest against the election results.
Opinion

Pakistan's election was supposed to end deadlock. It failed

Country needs stable national government to tackle economic crisis

14 February 2024
Supporters of Pakistan's imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan protest the election results in Karachi on Feb. 11. Independents backed by Khan's party won the most seats but two other parties are better positioned to form a coalition government.
Pakistan elections

Imran Khan's rivals eye deal to share Pakistan prime ministerial term

Election-leading PTI vows no cooperation as tough economic test awaits

13 February 2024
Supporters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif cheer outside the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz office in Lahore on Feb. 9.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan elections draw sharp critiques from U.S. and Europe

Islamabad 'surprised by negative tone,' says polls were successful

12 February 2024
A portrait of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan is seen amid flags of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and the religious party Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) as protesters demand free and fair election results in Karachi on Feb. 10.
Pakistan elections

Pakistanis protest elections as Khan, Sharif camps claim they can govern

Facing limited options despite strong showing, PTI pushes tampering allegations

11 February 2024
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif delivers a victory speech at the office of his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in Lahore on Feb. 9.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan's Sharif eyes coalition amid rival claims of election victory

Khan hails PTI win via AI as controversial polls point to more instability

10 February 2024
A journalist is silhouetted against a screen as he checks live results of the general elections in Lahore, Pakistan, on Feb. 9.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan election results show unexpectedly tight race

Delayed count and promising signs for Imran Khan's PTI set up battle of narratives

9 February 2024
A man casts his vote during the general elections in Karachi, Pakistan, on Feb. 8.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan tallies election results after tense day of polling

Vote overshadowed by sidelining of Imran Khan's party, internet cuts, militant attacks

8 February 2024
Poll workers walk past police officers outside a voting station in Peshawar on Feb. 8.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan cuts mobile service on election day, PTI slams 'cowardly act'

Outages in name of security fuel suspicion over polls' legitimacy

8 February 2024
With the help of Pakistan's military, former three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to win the country's election on Feb. 8, amid a media blackout surrounding his main rival, PTI party leader Imran Khan. 
The Big Story

Pakistan's election tainted by military meddling as ex-PM Sharif set to win

Nothing left to chance as Imran Khan's PTI party disappears from airwaves

7 February 2024
A fruit vendor waits for customers in front of a makeshift Pakistan People's Party office in Karachi on Feb. 1. The country's economic crisis, including high inflation, is sure to challenge the next government.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan's economic crisis looms over last days of election campaign

Next government faces billions in debt bills, fallout from crackdown on Imran Khan

5 February 2024
Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, a senior PTI official, waves a cricket bat at a rally in Karachi on Jan. 14: The party has been barred from using its cricket bat symbol on election ballots. 
Opinion

Excitement about Pakistan's election is hard to find

Maneuverings to sideline Imran Khan and his PTI have left voters disheartened

1 February 2024
A supporter of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan attends a rally in Lahore on Jan. 28. This week, Khan was handed 10- and 14-year jail sentences on consecutive days.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan election battlegrounds heat up as Imran Khan hit by jail terms

Nawaz Sharif bets on biggest province Punjab; the smallest, Balochistan, matters to China

1 February 2024
Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, left, meets with Pakistani Army Chief Gen. Syed Asim Munir in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on Jan. 29. (Inter Services Public Relations via AP)
International relations

Pakistan and Iran patch up ties but militants poised to play spoilers

Experts say root causes of border strikes unresolved as proxy warfare spreads

30 January 2024
A woman votes in Pakistan's 2018 election. The political landscape looks very different ahead of next month's polls, with former Prime Minister Imran Khan out and his rival Nawaz Sharif back in the game.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan elections: 5 people poised to shape the country's future

Three-time PM Nawaz Sharif seen as favorite with Imran Khan sidelined

27 January 2024
People sit outside a tea stall with political billboards in the background ahead of Pakistan's general elections in Larkana on Jan. 16.
Pakistan elections

Pakistan social media outages squeeze Imran Khan party's last bastion

Government blames glitches as analysts eye risk of total shutdown on election day

25 January 2024