Imran Khan appears to be more popular than ever
But he will struggle to force the early election he wants
It’s always election season in Pakistan. The country has been holding by-elections every couple of months ever since 131 lawmakers from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party resigned en masse in April, when their leader, Imran Khan, was ousted as prime minister in a vote of no confidence. Yet the latest round of polls on October 16th, with eight parliamentary seats up for grabs, was unlike any other: seven featured the same PTI candidate, Mr Khan himself, who painted it as a referendum on his popularity. He won six.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “One-man party”
From the October 22nd 2022 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Asia
AUKUS enters its fifth year. How is the pact faring?
It has weathered two big political changes. What about Donald Trump’s return?
Joe Biden’s mixed legacy on Japan
Security co-operation flourished, but a scuppered steel deal leaves a sour taste
Indonesia nearly has a monopoly on nickel. What next?
Prabowo Subianto, the new president, wants to create an electric car supply chain
What a 472-year-old corpse reveals about India
St Francis Xavier is both venerated and despised
Pakistan’s army puts a former intelligence chief on trial
General Faiz Hameed is an ally of Imran Khan, who is currently behind bars
By resisting arrest, South Korea’s president challenges democracy
His attempt to impose martial law failed. But Yoon Suk Yeol is still causing trouble