Plus, improving conditions for refugees and the economic security of older U.S. adults.
| Ahead of elections, Pakistan’s democracy stands badly damaged In the run-up to Pakistan’s general elections in February, a familiar pattern is repeating itself. Ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan sits in jail with 180 legal cases registered against him. Former three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has returned from exile with the Pakistani military’s backing, despite having been convicted and disqualified from running for office for life just a few years ago. The ground is now being prepared for Sharif’s run as the favored candidate of the establishment (a euphemism for Pakistan’s powerful army). While this is all par for the course in Pakistan, what is different this time around is the ferocity with which the state has gone after Khan and his political party. After Khan was ousted from power in 2022, he directly confronted the military, which he blamed, along with the United States, for his ouster. That unprecedented confrontation devolved into a zero-sum existential fight that Pakistan’s military is winning. In the process, the country’s democracy has taken hit after hit and there is little hope that the next election will be free or fair, if it is held in February at all, writes Madiha Afzal. |
More research and commentary Improving conditions for refugees. With the Global Refugee Forum meeting in Geneva this week, Kemal Kirişci and Friedrich Püttmann discuss a policy proposal that offers win-win outcomes for refugees, their host countries, and donor countries. Seven facts about the economic security of older adults. Wendell Primus and Julia Paris assess the current state of older U.S. adults’ financial wellbeing and the role that Social Security reform might play in strengthening the economic security of this group. |
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