The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said on Monday that there was little chance the upcoming elections would be free, fair or credible due to “blatant manipulation” and the large-scale rejection of candidacies.

The HRCP expressed concern about the overall deterioration in human rights in Pakistan, including what it called the “blatant manipulation of the electoral landscape in which one political party among others has been singled out for systematic dismemberment.” It alleged that the government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) were manipulating the election by arresting party workers and supporters without transparency, cracking down on party workers’ right to peaceful assembly, pressuring party leaders to resign and rejecting candidates’ nomination papers.

The ECP rejected the nominations of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and most members of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on December 30. It also issued a ruling on December 19 that banned the PTI from using its electoral symbol in the upcoming general election. These actions have attracted challenges and allegations of election rigging from the PTI. The HRCP said that other political parties were subject to similar tactics to varying degrees.

The large-scale rejections, according to the HRCP, give credence to apprehensions that “the electoral process is being engineered.” The HRCP demanded the government and the ECP to “adhere strictly to their mandates by providing a fair chance to every candidate—belonging to any political party—who wishes to contest the upcoming general elections.”

The general elections of Pakistan are scheduled for February 8, 2024, aiming to select representatives for the 16th National Assembly. According to Article 218(3) of Pakistan’s Constitution, the ECP is responsible for the organization of the election, which is to be conducted honestly, justly, fairly, in accordance with the law and free from any corrupt practices.