Summary

On July 25, Pakistan’s voters will get their chance to chime in on what the post-Nawaz Sharif era should look like. Will it be the famous former cricketer Imram Khan and his Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, the scion Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), or the continuity of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Shahbaz Sharif, brother and perhaps ultimate redeemer of the now-jailed former prime minister Nawaz Shariff?

Whatever the ultimate decision, voters are making their choice under difficult circumstances. Pakistan’s economy is reeling from a currency crisis and now spiking inflation, prompting the central bank to recently raise interest rates from 6.5 to 7.5%. Violence has also been an issue in the lead-up to July 25, evident in the brutal suicide bombing at an election rally in Balochistan that killed over 129 people last week.

Here’s what to watch for as Pakistan heads to the polls: