ASSESSMENTS

The Challenges Facing Pakistan's New Government

Feb 26, 2024 | 20:43 GMT

Former Pakistani Prime Minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, Shehbaz Sharif (center) speaks during a press conference in Lahore on Feb. 13, 2024.
Former Pakistani Prime Minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, Shehbaz Sharif (center) speaks during a press conference in Lahore on Feb. 13, 2024.

(ARIF ALI/AFP via Getty Images)

With the help of the military, Pakistan's new government will prioritize negotiating a deal with the International Monetary Fund and addressing the country's economic and political crisis by cracking down on dissent. But the coalition's internal fragmentation and unpopularity will hinder its reform efforts, exacerbated by election-related unrest. According to the Pakistani constitution, President Arif Alvi must summon the National Assembly by Feb. 29 to commence the inauguration of the lawmakers who were elected in the country's inconclusive general ballot on Feb. 8, where no single party secured a majority. Shortly after the election, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and other minor parties, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), agreed to establish a coalition government. Meanwhile, the coalition of independent candidates affiliated with former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in conjunction with the minority Sunni Ittehad Council Political Party, have indicated they would assume...

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