DOMINANT ANGLE
Islamabad sees Lula's re-election as a setback for the right-wing wave allied with Donald Trump in Latin America, more than a Brazilian political episode.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Lula wins with about 4.4 million votes ahead, or 51.8% of the ballots, according to the Electoral Court (ARY News, Reuters).
- 02
Flávio Bolsonaro refuses to recognize the result, wants to request its annulment and deems "unacceptable" the two-hour voting extension decided by Judge Cristiano Zanin (Business Recorder).
- 03
According to Geo News, Lula's victory slows a wave of right-wing successes in Latin America and Trump's regional agenda.
ANALYSIS
Islamabad, October 26, 2026. Pakistani media, led by ARY News and Geo News, widely picked up Reuters' dispatches to report on Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's victory in the second round of the Brazilian presidential election on Sunday. Geo's headline speaks of a "historic 4th term" that pushes back "the right-wing wave and Trump's regional agenda".
The narrative first highlights the regional scope. According to the text relayed by ARY, Lula, a "vocal critic" of the US president, was re-elected in a result that "provides relief to critics of widening US influence in Latin America". The dispatch emphasizes that this victory goes against the tide of a series of successes by center-right candidates allied with Trump, and that the first economy in Latin America, with a GDP of $2,600 billion, is expected to continue to defy Washington's demands despite the increase in customs duties.
The figures are given unambiguously: with 100% of the votes counted, the Electoral Court announced a lead of around 4.4 million votes for Lula, who obtained 51.8%. Geo describes a "shock result" that defied polls, precedents, and the anti-incumbent mood. The newspaper recalls that Lula, a former metallurgist and unionist, had been imprisoned from 2018 to 2019 for corruption charges that were later annulled, and that voters had turned away from him and the Workers' Party after scandals and price hikes. A consultant, Leonardo Barreto, sums up the voters' choice between change and "a known path".
The disputed aspect is treated more briefly. Business Recorder reports that Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, from Brasília, refused to recognize his defeat and said he wants to request the annulment of the election, deeming "unacceptable" the decision of Supreme Court Judge Cristiano Zanin to extend voting by two hours. ARY mentions an evening of "chaos" in some polling stations after this last-minute decision.
Lula, for his part, speaks of a "defeat of negationism and lies" before thousands of supporters gathered in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and promises to respect all Brazilians. Pakistani articles contain no official reaction from Islamabad or local analysis: Brazil is read through the prism of the balance of power with the United States.
