The Heat: Pakistan votes in 2018 parliamentary elections

The Heat

More than 100 million Pakistani voters were registered to participate in Wednesday’s parliamentary elections. In some parts of the country, women were allowed to vote for the first time. The projections show a victory by the PTI party led by Imran Khan.

According to local media, the PTI is leading with 110 seats in the parliament, the PML-N with 68 and the PPP in third place with 39 seats.

If those numbers stand, it could result in a hung parliament, since no party is poised to get a clear majority. But the PTI will be in position to negotiate a coalition government.

To explain the impact of these elections on Pakistan and its people:

  • Akbar Ahmed is Ibn Khaldun chair of Islamic Studies at American University and the former Pakistani High Commissioner to the U.K. and Ireland.

To discuss Pakistan’s next steps:

  • Nasir Naveed is the Director of Policy and Planning at INDUS
  • Sadanand Dhume writes about South Asian political economy, foreign policy, business, and society, with a focus on India and Pakistan.
  • Kamran Bokhari is a globally renowned specialist on countering violent extremism and the geopolitics of the Middle East & South Asia.

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