Majority of Pakistanis cast doubt on elections, shows Gallup International survey

Seven in 10 Pakistanis lack confidence in the honesty of the general elections, a Gallup International survey has shown.

“The political atmosphere ahead of Pakistan’s first general election since 2018 is equally as glum as the economic one,” it said in its report published on Tuesday

Pakistan is set to hold polls on February 8 in which more than 128 million would exercise their right to vote. Many journalists and experts have expressed concerns over the transparency in elections as the former prime minister stays behind bars and a crackdown on his party supporters.

Last week, the Supreme Court stripped the former ruling party of its iconic bat symbol and upheld the December 23 order of the Election Commission of Pakistan that nullified the intra-party elections of the PTI.

According to the survey, a clear majority of Pakistanis (88%) also believe that corruption within their government is widespread, on par with the figure from 2022 (86%), which was a record high for the country. Last year, just one in four (25%) approved of Pakistan’s leadership.