Pakistan's election tainted by military meddling as ex-PM Sharif set to win

ISLAMABAD -- With 167 parties competing in national parliamentary and local legislative elections this Thursday, Pakistan's domestic media -- newspapers, TV and radio -- have been saturated with political coverage of the polls that will ultimately determine the country's new prime minister.

One thing is missing, however: any mention of the country's most popular political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and its leader, the former star cricketer and prime minister Imran Khan. After falling out with Pakistan's powerful military in 2022, Khan was jailed last year on charges of illegally selling state gifts. He has disappeared from the airwaves and is disqualified from running in the election.