In a scathing report released on Saturday, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) raised serious concerns about the integrity and credibility of the February 8 elections, citing a range of issues that have cast a pall over the democratic process. While acknowledging that the polling process itself remained transparent and peaceful, HRCP expressed deep dissatisfaction with the post-polling process. Delays in announcing election results, alleged discrepancies between the returning officer’s announcement and the presiding officer’s count, and reports of denied access for candidates, polling agents, and observers during the provisional consolidation of results raised serious concerns. HRCP demanded an independent audit of the 2024 elections under the supervision of a parliamentary body.