Electoral Malpractices during the 2008 Elections in Pakistan

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In the present world of democracy, no country needs genuine elections on the road to a truly representative government more than Pakistan. There is hardly any study on Pakistan’s elections which can claim to have covered all the elections in the country and explored the highly critical issue of malpractices which beset them. The very little and piecemeal academic work that has been done so far lacks focus as well as a theoretical framework. This study is designed to remove that lacuna. It has provided a detailed account of electoral malpractices with a major focus on the 2008 election. Theoretically rich and empirically sound, it seeks to expose regime after regime and their duplicity in the matter of electoral frauds. It reveals not only manipulations and manipulators, but also the dominant causes and sophisticated techniques of malpractices. The book raises unusual questions which are followed by unusual answers. It delves deep into the highly complex nature of electoral frauds, so crucial in the making or breaking of governments and, consequently, to the future of democracy in Pakistan. In this pioneering study of the 2008 elections, which proved to be General Musharraf’s Waterloo, the author has sought to provide its readers a gainful insight into the complexities, fixities and novelties of electoral politics and frauds. The book is expected to serve as a corrective to pitfalls, both old and new, in Pakistan’s political system. More specifically, it is aimed to create awareness among the electorates about the power of their vote, so vital to sensitizing the political elites to popular concerns. It would be a source of ready reference for the Election Commission in revamping itself, revising election rules and codes and, thereby, evolving a foolproof system of free and fair elections which would in turn ensure political stability and improved governance in the country. If this book induces sequels and serves the cause of democracy, no matter how modestly, it would meet its prime objective. About the Author Iffat Humayun has done her Master’s and M.Phil from National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. Currently, she is working as Research Associate in the International Islamic University, Islamabad, and is conducting research on elections from a global perspective.