PAKISTAN’S LEADERSHIP VACUUM: CAN JAMAAT-E-ISLAMI ABSORB THE DISILLUSIONED PTI BASE?

Abstract

The Vacuum in Pakistan’s Politics Pakistan’s political landscape has long been dominated by personalities, populist slogans, and a relentless struggle for power (Fair, 2014; Wilder, 2011). Over the decades, grand promises were made, mass rallies were held, yet ordinary citizens rarely saw meaningful change. PTI once represented a fresh hope. Imran Khan’s charisma and the vision of a corruption-free, welfare-oriented Islamic state mobilized millions of young Pakistanis (Rana, 2018). PTI became, for a time, the most popular political force in the country.