Arrests and intimidation fuel growing fears of ‘dirty’ election in Pakistan

Human rights activists claim military are trying to swing Wednesday’s vote in favour of Imran Khan Widespread allegations that the military is working behind the scenes to swing Pakistan’s election this week in favour of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan are threatening to sully only the country’s second democratic transition of power. The vote on Wednesday is expected to be a two-way race between Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), the party headed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is now in jail and has for decades had tense relations with the army. “The military has little desire to see the PMLN return to power,” said Michael Kugelman, a South Asia expert at the Wilson Center in Washington DC, “and it is willing to engineer actions behind the scenes that undercut the PMLN’s electoral prospects in a big way.” Continue reading... source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/21/pakistan-imran-khan-elections-arrests-intimidation #Headlines by: Mehreen Zahra-Malik in Lahore

Original Post: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/21/pakistan-imran-khan-elections-arrests-intimidation