Epilogue

Abstract

Pakistan held a general election in mid-2013, and while the result was largely predictable in the form of victory for the conservative Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz group), there was also an element of unexpectedness in the relatively young political party the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by the former Test cricketer Imran Khan, which made major inroads into the support base of the existing political parties. Many people in the country, not least PTI’s own supporters, interpreted the election outcome as a harbinger of radical change not only in the politics of the country but in setting the scene for a visible improvement in the way the economy is managed and social problems are tackled in Pakistan. Indeed, PTI supporters and others with an optimistic bent looked upon the elections as a watershed in ushering in an era of greater electoral accountability, breaking the hold of a small number of political families and, at long last, creating the conditions to confront the chronic problems of poor governance and corruption in the country.