Google’s new Doodle has reminded the people of Pakistan that the elections in the country are slated to be held this year. The last election in Pakistan was conducted in 2018 which saw former cricketer Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party securing a comfortable victory by winning 149 of the 342 seats in the national assembly with a vote share of 31.82 percent. 
However, Imran Khan government was ousted from the government last year and the government by PM Shehbaz Sharif took over. Khan had blamed the then army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and the US for planning his ouster. 
Pakistan’s next general election is due within 60 days of the end of the current National Assembly’s term on 13 August. If the National Assembly is dissolved earlier, elections must be held within 90 days of its dissolution. Pakistan usually holds provincial and national assembly elections together.
Google’s doodle features a ballot box with the Pakistani flag in the middle, a reference to elections due later this year in the Muslim-dominated country.
Former PM Imran Khan has been calling for early elections in the country while the government has argued that the ongoing economic and security crises in the country make it difficult to hold any elections. Last month, the Supreme Court of Pakistan had ordered the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement and Imran Khan’s PTI to hold talks and agree on an election date. 
PTI had dissolved the legislative assemblies in the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which it controlled, in a bid to force the government to call early elections.
Pakistan’s economy is grappling with a severe inflationary crisis, reaching its highest rate since 1957. The country also finds itself with the highest inflation rate in Asia, surpassing even Sri Lanka. As of May 2023, the inflation rate stands at a staggering 38%, posing significant challenges for the government and the people of Pakistan.
 
 
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