On the 8th of February, sunlight glimmered through the murky clouds over Pakistan, as it underwent general elections which were delayed almost a full year. The significance of these elections can be understood from the fact that Pakistan’s population is roughly more than 240 million people, the 5th largest population in the world.

The will of 3 % of the world’s population was snatched in April 2022. This was done when the popularly elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI), was removed from office through a regime change operation orchestrated by the US, with Pakistan’s military establishment used as tools. After Mr. Khan’s removal, corrupt politicians were given the reins of the country. These politicians steered the economy of 240 million people down the drain in just a year and a half while lining their own pockets.

There was such barefaced corruption, causing inflation to skyrocket, that the buying power of the common man was slashed to half. As a result, Pakistan’s entire middle class was dragged into poverty. The people tried to protest but were suppressed by the state machinery; despite such odds, the Pakistani people held to the idea of change through their right to vote.

According to most polls, the PTI, which was being cut into shreds in front of the public, was the most popular political party. The entire leadership of the PTI was thrown in jail, many were forced to leave the party, and some fled the country. Such persecution of a single party, the most beloved party, left feelings of disillusionment and betrayal.

Apart from the miserable economic conditions and persecution of the PTI, the people of Pakistan were deeply saddened by the government’s silence regarding the catastrophe taking place in Gaza. To add insult to injury, the top leadership was even debating formalizing diplomatic relations with "Israel". The moral compass of the state machinery was now under suspicion and people remembered that not too long ago, the same debate was put across  Ex-PM Khan when he was in office, yet he outright rejected any such notions, and stated that “this is against the foreign policy guidelines laid down by the founding father of Pakistan Mr. Jinnah”.

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The general elections seemed like a chance for the people to regain their voice, to fight injustice, and to lay the foundation for the future. They found their solace and strength in the ballot box, confident that their combined action could kindle the fire of change and lead the way to a brighter future. Ever since Khan was put in jail, the saga of bravery and treachery unraveled at the theatre of democracy in the center of Pakistan.

For the citizens who had dared to put faith in the honesty of their leaders, the persecution of the PTI party and its loyal followers seemed like the greatest betrayal ever. Imran Khan was the symbol of defiance against foreign intervention, and a supporter of sovereignty, who was attacked incessantly for the audacity of demonstrating his nation's honor. Resisting all forms of pressure, he stood his ground against the stream of injustice and was the only one to be attacked, wounded, and isolated.

With the coming of the election day, the air was filled with a spirit of resoluteness. Despite the ban on carrying PTI flags and the jamming of cellular services across the country in the name of security, the people marched quietly to the polling stations, and their voices were louder than ever with hope and resilience. Amid whispers of doubt, they cast their votes and held tight to the hope for change, seeking out just a spark of justice from among the struggles.

However, their skepticism grew with time as the results came in, one after another, causing a ripple effect. PTI, the hope for millions, appeared to be in line for the win when the cruel hand of manipulation struck. It was conceived as a triumph of democracy but turned out to be hideous manipulation. By midnight, the PTI was leading in more than 150 constituencies and was in the clear lead in two of the four Provinces of Pakistan, which was enough to win the elections and form a government.

The following morning brought about the most bewildering revelation: the PTI had secured victory in only one province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), while facing defeat in numerous other constituencies. What made this outcome even more ridiculous was the blatant rigging that had occurred. The margin of victory for the opposing side was so exaggerated that, upon tallying the votes cast, it exceeded the registered number of voters within the respective constituencies. Multiple foreign media outlets accused the military of rigging the elections in favor of PML-N the military establishment’s valued party. Many international observers, including United States, European Union and the United Kingdom have voiced their concerns about the fairness of the elections.

Though the dust is yet to settle, as no single party is able to form the government, deals are being brokered between various parties to form coalitions. The optimism of many has been shattered and people are reminded of H.L Mencken’s words, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.”  

Even though the military establishment has ruined the hopes of millions of people in Pakistan from their monkey cage, they cannot contend with the resilience of the youth. Pakistan’s demographic data reveals that more than 65% of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 30 years, which roughly translates to the fact that, from this election to all the elections until 2050, 2 out of 3 registered voters are going to be under 30 years of age. The universal rule of societal change is that change is brought about by the will of the youth. Thus, it can be concluded that despite the darkness cast by the manipulation of results, a rebellious fire remained, a flicker of hope that eventually, justice will be done, and the silenced will speak again.