Elections for a new parliament are finally due to take place in Pakistan on February 8. Much uncertainty still surrounds the polls. Not for the first time, Pakistan heads into elections with a popular politician — indeed its currently most popular politician, Imran Khan — behind bars, while his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), is subject to coercion and in a state of disarray.

No political leader in recent history enjoyed such warm relations with Pakistan’s military establishment as Khan until just three years ago. Yet no leader in recent history has fallen so far out of the praetorian guard’s favor as Khan and his party have now.

Elections that were due to be held in November were postponed until February, ostensibly for the redrawing of electoral constituencies in light of fresh census results. The militarized ruling bloc, in the throes of its deepest crisis in half a century, has used the delay to undermine Khan’s popularity and attempt to establish some semblance of economic and political coherence.