In Pakistan, the period leading up to the general elections is always marked by a flurry of promises, political rallies, and extensive voter engagement. Political parties and their candidates actively reach out to voters, presenting ambitious manifestos filled with promises to uplift communities, improve public services, and address longstanding issues. However, once the elections conclude and the winners take office, a familiar pattern emerges: the enthusiasm fades, and citizens are left waiting for the promises to materialize. Particularly in urban areas, where community ties are not as strong as in rural settings, elected representatives often become invisible, leaving a trail of unfulfilled commitments.

While political manifestos serve as a key tool to mobilize voters by reflecting upon the political party’s vision, they rarely translate into actionable governance. Manifestos are often a mix of citizens’ priorities, less objective and impractical promises, and don’t include the most crucial component—post-election accountability to ensure these promises are followed through—leading to widespread political apathy and disillusionment. This disconnect between electoral promises and governance is not just a political failure—it is a failure of the democratic process, where voters’ voices are neglected after elections.

CivActs is Accountability Lab’s transformative response, designed to strengthen the country’s governance and accountability ecosystem through citizens’ participation and feedback. The campaign engages political parties, their representatives and workers, civil society, media, and communities, especially youth, who constitute more than 60% of the country’s population. It is a continuous process beyond the election season that empowers and mobilizes youth to actively monitor and hold political parties and public service delivery departments accountable for their commitments to improve governance. Through CivActs, Lab is creating a new narrative around elections that emphasizes continuous civic engagement rather than a fleeting interest during election season.

Contributing to an Informed and Empowered Citizenry:

Pakistan’s youth make up a significant portion of the population, representing over 60% of the country’s demographic. Yet, this youth bulge remains largely underrepresented in both the electoral process and governance. Engaging the youth in political accountability has the potential to not only revive democratic participation but also ensure a more informed, active citizenry. Accountability Lab’s strategy of connecting academic youth with political processes is strategic for several reasons:

1. Cultivating Political Awareness: Academic institutions are ideal spaces for fostering critical thinking and debate. Accountability Lab equips young citizens with the tools to understand how political decisions directly affect their lives by introducing discussions around political manifestos, constitutional rights, and governance reforms. The campaign aims to empower our youth to question, critique, and demand accountability from their leaders.
2. Mobilizing Constructive Engagement: The campaign doesn’t just stop at education—it transforms knowledge and skills into action. Through constructive channels, such as media campaigns, public forums, networking events, and technology to facilitate citizen feedback, young people can provide feedback and hold the leaders accountable. This direct engagement of youth in the democratic process helps bridge the gap between citizen and their elected representatives, ensuring that promises made during elections are not forgotten.
3. Long-term Civic Responsibility: Encouraging youth to monitor post-election performance promotes a culture of continuous civic responsibility. This initiative fosters a sense of ownership over the political process, motivating citizens to remain active in governance throughout the electoral cycle, rather than just during election season.

Citizen Engagement: Cornerstone for Post-Election Accountability and Governance:

While elections are the cornerstone of democracy, the real work begins after the votes are counted. The promises made by political parties during campaigns should serve as a roadmap for governance, yet in Pakistan, there is little emphasis on tracking the progress of these commitments. Citizens often feel powerless once the election is over, as no institutional mechanism or formal framework holds parties accountable for their manifestos. This gap in the democratic process can be addressed through citizen-driven post-election monitoring and accountability.

Involving citizens in the post-election performance monitoring of political parties can be a powerful tool for ensuring accountability in governance. By keeping track of how political parties and their representatives perform against their manifestos and commitments made during the elections, citizens can create a direct link between electoral promises and governance outcomes. This involves:

• Tracking Performance Indicators: Citizens can monitor specific promises made by political parties, such as economic growth targets, infrastructure projects, or social welfare schemes. Publicly available data, progress reports, media briefings, and websites of various government departments can serve as resources for tracking these indicators. An empowered citizenry to use the available data and tools for timely feedback can be the key.
• Organizing Public Forums: Under the CivAct campaign, Accountability Lab arranges Community-driven forums and town halls across Pakistan, where citizens get the opportunity to directly engage with their elected representatives and local government department. These forums provide a platform for discussing service delivery challenges and progress updates.
• Leveraging Digital Media and New Technologies: Social media is an accessible and powerful tool for post-election monitoring and provides citizens with platforms for timely feedback. Citizens can collectively raise their voices about unfulfilled promises, share progress and feedback on development projects, and demand accountability in a public and transparent manner. This also allows for broader engagement and awareness, reaching those who might not be directly involved in the political process. Accountability Lab has established incubation centers in nine public sector universities across Pakistan that train youth on new technologies, leadership, communication, and advocacy tools, and incubate innovative ideas through a year-long Accountability Incubator (AI) Program. Through the incubation program, social entrepreneurs and innovators are equipped social innovators with technical skills and knowledge, provide operational and regulatory support, and connect with potential funding partners for the long-term sustainability of their initiatives.

The Role of Civil Society, Media, and Academia

Role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) is crucial in empowering citizens to engage in post-election monitoring of projects and governance on local level. CSOs can develop monitoring frameworks, provide resources for tracking political performance, and facilitate dialogue between citizens and their representatives. Accountability Lab, through the CivActs campaign and many other civil society organizations, are already leading the way by creating platforms for civic engagement, but more widespread and long-term support is needed.

In Pakistan, where much of the political discourse is driven by sensationalism, there is a need for more Responsible and Evidence-based journalism focused on governance issues. Media outlets can provide space for citizens’ feedback on governance issues to hold the leaders to account in the public sphere, encouraging a more informed public discourse.

Academia, particularly universities, is an ideal platform for the democratic engagement of youth. Faculty, researchers, and students can collaborate on projects to assess the progress of political manifestos, analyze governance outcomes, and present policy recommendations. By integrating these activities into the academic curriculum, universities can nurture future politically aware and civically engaged leaders.

Accountability in governance is a continuous process that requires active participation from citizens. CivActs is engaging the youth in the democratic process to hold leaders accountable, ensuring that elections are not just about winning votes but delivering on promises. By fostering a culture of post-election accountability, civil society, media, and academia can collectively contribute to a more transparent, responsive, and accountable political system in Pakistan. Ultimately, this shift will help prioritize citizens’ needs beyond the ballot and lead to a stronger, more effective democracy.

About the Author: Asif Farooqui is the Director of Programs at the Accountability Lab Pakistan, and can be reached at asif@accountabilitylab.org