Nawaz May Be Just Awaz
Nawaz Sharif, punished for questioning the army’s primacy, had been removed under a ‘minus Nawaz’ formula designed by Pakistan’s establishment, which allowed the PML-N to complete its parliamentary term, as long as Nawaz himself was kept out of the fray, with a choice of prison or exile.
Pak set for another selection
The most critical element of the polycrisis is the economic meltdown that the country faces, with inflation close to 40 percent, growing deficits, absent investment, stunted growth and mounting public anger. All this will require the new civilian regime to start knocking on the doors of the IMF for a grim 24th bailout program from June 2024.
Vox Militum beats Vox Populi
While the PML-N ended up as the largest federal party (with 75 of 266 national assembly seats), but no majority in its home base of Punjab, and the Zardari-Bhutto PPP claimed 54 seats and the home province of Sindh, it was the independents (mostly) backed by the PTI that surprised Pakistanis with over 100 seats.