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

A few months after controversial general elections marred by accusations of electoral fraud, PakistanThe ruling coalition pushed through parliament a constitutional amendment that critics fear could erode the very foundations of the country’s democracy.
In a special session late last month, lawmakers “wholeheartedly endorsed” sweeping reforms that risk transforming the country’s hybrid democracy into an authoritarian regime reminiscent of that of Burma.

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

Coalition leaders – worried that revelation of the plan could lead to a pre-emptive injunction from Supreme Court judges sympathetic to jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party – kept the amendment secret, presenting it to the National Assembly and the Senate without the usual public review process.

A supporter kisses a portrait of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan during a protest in Islamabad. Photo: AFP
A supporter kisses a portrait of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan during a protest in Islamabad. Photo: AFP

Passed just before dawn on October 21, the constitutional changes doubled the number of Supreme Court justices, depriving the opposition of its numerical advantage, and changed the process for appointing the chief justice to favor pro candidates. -governmental.