Pakistan’s general elections 2024 will surely be remembered for many reasons and we’re waiting for the following to happen before we can take a breather.
The government is yet to be formed and its in a state of instable turmoil. The contentious electoral process is to be scrutinised. And, people are concerned about what policies will shape their lives once a new government comes in.
In other words, a lot of major questions are yet to be answered.
The Current, however, will remember this time for quite different reasons as it was the first election it experienced as a digital news platform.
Before the election, we worked tirelessly on an election candidate handbook, to help you get to know your candidate – the views of 50 electables on issues that matter to voters. Ranging from climate change, to transgender rights, women’s issues and education, it has all the details we could find to help voters make their decision.
Over and above, we also explored another realm of digital media as we broadcasted exclusive live coverage of the election for three consecutive days on social media — the first in Pakistan!
We did this despite having no mobile and internet services outside, and very slow WiFi on election day.
We hardly got to sleep throughout the week, but the thrill of overly busy days got us going. And despite the exhaustion, we absolutely enjoyed it!
We were – and are by your side, answering your questions and keeping you updated.
Onscreen, behind the scenes
For our live transmission, we kept track of the incoming results and invited students, academics, and journalists to discuss everything pertaining to the elections and, of course, the youth.
We were also constantly engaging with our viewers who had joined us through social media and discussed topics they would otherwise not get from mainstream television channels.
Joining us behind the scenes were interns from Punjab University, along with members of Aap Ki Awaaz who are currently participating in our second cohort for digital media training – a part of our membership program for university students.
It was refreshing to see the energy they brought to our workspace, primarily accompanied by their newly developed interest in current affairs.
Almost all of them were first-time voters and they actively kept an eye on the constant updates coming in from various sources. They were also part of our live transmission and spoke on behalf of many young voters who are satisfied yet hopeful that their involvement in the democratic process will not be in vain.
