Higher living costs and political uncertainty have muted Pakistan's once boisterous election campaigns, with both candidates and those who supply them with materials bemoaning the need to do more with much less. The Feb 8 general election, the first since 2018, will take place as Pakistan battles an economic crisis, inflation running at almost 30 per cent and a weak currency while navigating a recovery path under a $3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout. The vote also follows a widespread state-sanctioned crackdown on the PTI whose founder has been in jail since August over a raft of charges, including corruption. "There was a lot of activity in previous elections and our business boomed, but in this election our business has been reduced to half compared to the last one," said Jawad Jiwani, who sells party flags in the commercial hub Karachi.

Candidate are hosting fewer outdoor gatherings for supporters and the trucks that usually drive up and down the streets, festooned with campaign posters and blaring music and slogans, are also noticeably quieter. Syed Arsalan Haider, a Karachi printer, said the cost of a square foot of banner was up by 130pc since the last election. Lahore printer Abdul Aziz said the cost of printing stickers had risen almost 70pc and posters by nearly 90pc. TV adverts are also limited, with Senator Taj Haider from the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) of prime ministerial candidate Bilawal Bhutto Zardari viewed his party chose TV over public rallies and printed materials in a bid to save costs. "If we had resources like we did in our past campaigns, then we could have done it better," added Senator Faisal Subzwari of the Mutahida Quami Movement (MQM) which is known for its colourful campaign materials.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)