Pakistan general elections: Key parties contending the polls, and their PM hopefuls

SHARIF BROTHERS OF THE PAKISTAN MUSLIM LEAGUE

Business mogul, multi-millionaire and three-time prime minister, Nawaz Sharif hails from one of the top 2 families that have dominated Pakistan’s politics for decades. His Pakistan Muslim League party won landslide victories in 2007 and 2013. But the 74-year-old has never completed a term in office and was ousted from power each time: once by the military, once by the Supreme Court, and once by the president. Despite this, Sharif enjoys immense popularity and musters thousands of supporters at party rallies.

Nawaz Sharif. AP

Shehbaz Sharif, 72, the younger brother of Nawaz Sharif, succeeded former PM Imran Khan in April 2022. He has been the chief minister of Punjab thrice, the largest and most influential province that is also home to half of the country’s population of 240 million. He led their party while his brother was in self-exile in London and became the premier when a no-confidence vote in parliament ousted Khan from power.

Shehbaz Sharif. Twitter

Under Pakistan’s constitution, Sharif stepped down when the parliament was dissolved last August and a caretaker prime minister took over until the election.

Both party leaders have in the past urged better ties with neighbours, particularly India. During Nawaz’s tenure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to Pakistan, the first such visit in over a decade.

PAKISTAN TEHREEK-E-INSAF PARTY

The party, which is currently led by Gohar Ali Khan, leans more to the centre-right and was founded by former cricket star-turned-politician Imran Khan, who served as the 22nd PM of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022. In 1996, Khan, who is currently in jail, founded the PTI, a political party advocating for a welfare state and an end to corruption. He campaigned on a platform of anti-corruption and social justice, gaining popularity among the Pakistani public.

Imran Khan. AP

Khan’s tenure as prime minister was marked by both successes and challenges. He initiated various reforms aimed at improving the economy, healthcare, and education. However, he also faced criticism for his handling of the economy, foreign policy, and alleged human rights abuses. In April 2022, Khan faced a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly. The vote was initially dismissed by the Deputy Speaker, but the Supreme Court intervened and ordered a resumption of the proceedings. Khan lost the no-confidence vote and was removed from office, a move he tried to fight with widespread street protests.

Khan has been in jail since August 5, when he was arrested due to a conviction in the Toshakhana corruption case. He also drew nationwide condemnation after seemingly blaming a rise in sexual violence on women “wearing very few clothes.” On the international stage, he berated the United States as ungrateful for Pakistan’s help in fighting global terror, and called al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden, killed in a 2011 U.S. raid in Pakistan, a “martyr”.

He now has more than 150 legal cases against him and has been imprisoned since August, with four convictions for graft, revealing state secrets and breaking marriage laws. He has been sentenced to three, 10, 14 and seven years, to be served concurrently. His legal convictions have barred him from contesting the elections but his party is running and he still has a mass grassroots following.

BILAWAL BHUTTO-ZARDARI OF THE PAKISTAN PEOPLE’S PARTY

Born in 1988, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the son of the assassinated former PM Benazir Bhutto and grandson of the country’s first democratically elected prime minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, is the youngest PM hopeful.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. AP

Active in politics for over a decade, Bilawal became chairman of his family’s political party, Pakistan Peoples Party, days after his mother was killed during the 2007 elections. He won his first parliamentary seat in 2018 and became foreign minister after Imran Khan’s ouster. Bhutto-Zardari, 35, has vowed to end the personal vendettas that characterise Pakistan’s politics and has also urged for investment in climate resilience as a key to the nation’s survival.

With inputs from AP