spot_img

Columns

News

Opposition leaders detained at CJP protest in Delhi

Former chief ministers Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal and Pinarayi Vijayan were among those held as the Cockroach Janta Party protest at Jantar Mantar demanded the Chief Election Commissioner's resignation

IMF, Pakistan reach staff-level deal potentially unlocking $1.2bn

he International Monetary Fund and Pakistan have reached a staff-level agreement on two programme reviews, potentially unlocking about $1.2 billion in financing, subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board.

Trump welcomes Pakistan, Türkiye military support for Saudi Arabia

US President Donald Trump welcomed Pakistan and Türkiye's military support for Saudi Arabia under the Makkah Alliance, saying "I think that's great."

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye agree to activate Makkah pact

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye decided at an emergency meeting in Riyadh on 5 October to move to the practical implementation of collective defence commitments under the Makkah Alliance for Defense, including rapid deployment of agreed forces in the Kingdom.

ICC unseals four arrest warrants against Taliban leaders

The International Criminal Court on 5 October 2026 unsealed four arrest warrants in the Afghanistan situation against senior Taliban figures, including Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani.
NewsroomNationalPakistan Lacks Democracy, Electoral Freedom: Swedish Thinktank Report
spot_img

Pakistan Lacks Democracy, Electoral Freedom: Swedish Thinktank Report

TT Staff Reporter
TT Staff Reporter
Breaking stories from The Thursday Times' in-house reporter.
spot_img

A new report from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden reveals that Pakistan severely lags behind the free world in terms of democratic freedom. The report, titled “Autocratization Turns Viral”  details regimes across the world plagued by the false pretence of fair elections, only to be greeted with vile and unwelcomed autocratic powers at their helm.

Pakistan has been categorised as an electoral autocracy, making it as autocratic as Palestine and even worse than Bangladesh or Nepal.

Source: University of Gothenburg

This comes as no surprise, as the current ruling party of Pakistan, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has openly accepted military power to facilitate its demands in the past. Just this week, in a vote of confidence in order to determine the credence government officials had on the Prime Minister, Imran Khan, Mr. Khan met with military officials as well as the head of the military spy arm in order to have a set of eyes besides his own observing parliamentarians. 

LEAVE A COMMENT

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

spot_img

Read more

The politics of collective security

The strongest defence of the Haramain would be one that keeps the turbulence of the region far from their gates. That is more than deterrence; it is stewardship of a trust larger than any single state.

In the AI age, knowing what to believe may matter most

In the AI age, the challenge is no longer finding information, but deciding what deserves our trust. As artificial intelligence reshapes news and society, human judgement, verification, and context matter more than ever, writes Fizza Sajawal.

Bonn’s quiet climate reality check

The Bonn Climate Change Conference may not attract the drama of a COP summit, but SB64 offered a clear reality check: the future of climate diplomacy will be judged less by promises and more by whether countries can deliver practical, fundable and sustainable climate action.

Opposition leaders detained at CJP protest in Delhi

Former chief ministers Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal and Pinarayi Vijayan were among those held as the Cockroach Janta Party protest at Jantar Mantar demanded the Chief Election Commissioner's resignation

IMF, Pakistan reach staff-level deal potentially unlocking $1.2bn

he International Monetary Fund and Pakistan have reached a staff-level agreement on two programme reviews, potentially unlocking about $1.2 billion in financing, subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board.

Trump welcomes Pakistan, Türkiye military support for Saudi Arabia

US President Donald Trump welcomed Pakistan and Türkiye's military support for Saudi Arabia under the Makkah Alliance, saying "I think that's great."