Pakistan’s leading political dynasties are poised to retake control of the government in elections this week after authorities crushed the party of jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan, sparking some of the worst turmoil in the country’s recent history.

The general election on Thursday will pit the Pakistan Muslim League-N of three-time former premier Nawaz Sharif, who has returned to Pakistan from four years of self-imposed exile, against political scion Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s Pakistan People’s party.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is also fielding candidates. But the populist former cricket star’s party has been severely weakened by a crackdown orchestrated by the military, which controls many political decisions behind the scenes in the nuclear-armed country of 240mn people, after Khan led a vocal campaign against the generals.