EXPERT COMMENT
With rumours rife that the results of Pakistan's general elections have already been decided, the country's multiple crises look set to intensify.
Pakistan faces formidable economic and political challenges, but without a credible result in the elections scheduled for 8 February it stands little chance of overcoming them. The repercussions could extend beyond Pakistan's borders, affecting regional stability and increasing pressure on Western governments as a growing number of Pakistanis leave their country in search of a more secure future abroad.
Questions about the integrity of the polls come amid widespread allegations of interference in the electoral process by Pakistan's powerful military establishment, said to be keen to engineer its preferred outcome.
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