In Pakistan, creeping authoritarianism threatens democracy ‘for decades to come’
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In Pakistan, creeping authoritarianism threatens democracy ‘for decades to come’

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Months after a contentious general election marred by ballot-rigging allegations, PakistanThe ruling coalition has delayed a constitutional amendment through parliament that critics fear could erode the very foundations of the country’s democracy.
In an extraordinary overnight session late last month, lawmakers “rubber-stamped” sweeping reforms that risk turning the nation’s hybrid democracy into an authoritarian regime reminiscent of Myanmar.

The political impact of the new laws, backed by the powerful military establishment, “is quite troubling and could be felt for decades to come,” according to Sahar Khan, deputy director of the South Asia program at the Stimson Center, a Washington-based think tank. .

Coalition leaders – concerned that disclosure of the draft would lead to a preventive injunction from Supreme Court judges sympathetic to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party – kept the amendment shrouded in secrecy and presented it to the National Assembly and the Senate without the usual public scrutiny.

A supporter kisses a portrait of Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan during a protest in Islamabad. Photo: AFP
A supporter kisses a portrait of Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan during a protest in Islamabad. Photo: AFP

Passed just before dawn on October 21, the constitutional amendments doubled the number of Supreme Court judges, effectively stripping the opposition of its numerical advantage and changing the appointment process for the Chief Justice to favor government candidates.

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