Yasmin Rashid co-authors study flagging institutional erosion

Pakistan's democratic checks were systematically weakened between 2022 and 2025 through legal, electoral and constitutional curbs, a report co-authored by imprisoned senior PTI leader Dr Yasmin Rashid claims.

Titled From Crackdown to Crisis, the study, co-authored with researcher Shayan Bashir, examines political and legal developments since April 2022 and argues that what began as routine law enforcement against protests evolved into a sustained campaign of political containment.

According to the authors, the first phase was marked by mass arrests, preventive detentions and overlapping criminal cases that kept political workers and leaders entangled in prolonged legal proceedings, limiting their political activity.

While courts remained functional, the report states the legal process increasingly operated as a mechanism of pressure rather than impartial adjudication.

The second phase unfolded around the 2024 general elections, where restrictions on candidate eligibility, campaign activity and election-day communication allegedly constrained political competition.

Although elections were held, the authors question whether the process met constitutional standards of fairness and transparency.

In the third phase, constitutional amendments and court rulings reportedly altered the balance of power among institutions.

The report claims judicial independence was curtailed and that Anti-Terrorism Court convictions linked to the May 9 unrest led to the disqualification of several opposition lawmakers, including leaders of the opposition in key legislatures, reshaping parliamentary composition.

The authors conclude that democratic institutions remain intact in form but weakened in function, warning that stability cannot be sustained without credible elections, judicial oversight and meaningful opposition participation.