Protests Surround Pakistan’s Newly Elected Assembly Meeting with Imran Khan
Published on: March 1, 2024.
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Pakistan’s newly elected lower house of parliament convened for the first time amidst protests by supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), backed by Khan, alleges that the February 8 national election was rigged and has called for an audit of the polls. Although no single party won a majority, candidates backed by Khan won the most seats. However, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have formed an alliance to create a coalition government. The SIC members chanted slogans in support of Imran Khan while legislators, including the prime minister in waiting Shehbaz Sharif, signed the membership register. The election for the prime minister will take place on March 4. The session was held under tight security due to earlier incidents of violence during the provincial assembly session. The allocation of reserved seats for women and minorities is still pending adjudication. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will decide on allocating reserved seats to the SIC, which did not win any seats in the polls but was joined later by Khan’s successful supporters. The ECP decision will not affect the government formation but additional seats will be crucial for passing legislation and countering the opposition.
