2024 in memes: Pakistan's most viral moments of the year

As 2024 comes to a close, Pakistan’s social media landscape is bursting with creativity and humour. From the high-stakes political drama of the elections to iconic moments in sports and entertainment, this year’s memes brought smiles, laughs, and even a few tears. Here, we revisit the top five categories of memes that defined Pakistan’s 2024.

General Election 2024: The meme-worthy circus

The 2024 general elections in Pakistan were a goldmine for meme creators. With delayed results, controversial ballot designs, and unexpected wins, social media erupted with satirical takes. One standout meme showed a weary Election Commission official playing Solitaire, captioned, “meanwhile ECP in the office”.

The overly crowded ballot papers, featuring numerous independent candidates, were likened to emoji keyboards. A widely shared post quipped, “All this hungama [commotion] for an election whose ballot looked like this,” accompanied by an image of a chaotic emoji-filled keyboard.

Social media users posting pictures of their thumbs with ink marks to signify they had cast their ballots also became a central theme. One X user poked fun at the trend by posting an image of a crowd of anthropomorphic thumbs.

Imran Khan: Jail, politics, and viral memes

Imran Khan’s turbulent year, marked by his incarceration during the elections, fuelled endless memes. 

With Khan behind bars, one X user captured PTI supporters' feelings on election day by showing the PTI founder in fervent prayers.

One viral post showed a mock reaction of Khan behind bars while pro-Sharif songs blared outside, captioned, “Imran’s live reaction as PML-N celebrates.”

The former prime minister’s fans and critics alike turned his rollercoaster year into a never-ending meme fest, highlighting his enduring influence on Pakistan’s political and cultural narrative.

Pakistan cricket: The hits and misses

Pakistan’s cricket team gave fans plenty of reasons to cheer — and laugh— this year. However, moments of despair also brought humour. The unexpected loss to Bangladesh in the Rawalpindi Test led to a viral post declaring the "death" of Pakistan cricket.

After a historic ODI series win against Australia, memes praised the team’s dominance. One image contrasted Pakistan's capitulation against England to their dominance versus Australia saying: "This isn't Multan, baby; it's MCG”.

The whitewash of South Africa brought yet more humourous memes to the fore. Youngster Saim Ayub star-making performances in the series was highlighted by an Instagram user.

Arshad Nadeem: From Olympic glory to meme fame

Arshad Nadeem’s gold-medal win in javelin at the Paris Olympics was a historic moment, but the internet couldn’t resist turning his feat into a meme sensation.

One viral meme celebrated his Olympic record throw with the caption, “He picked up whole nation's sorrows and threw it away".

Another joked about losing interest in cricket in favour of javelin throwing, by way of on a classic Pakistani meme with a timely twist.

When news surfaced of a car being gifted to him for his win, social media exploded with jokes about the modest sized prize. “I am getting second hand embarrassment from this,” quipped one netizen using an image of Mr Incredible uncomfortably squeezed into a car to imagine how Nadeem would look in an Alto.

Chahat Fateh Ali Khan: The gift that keeps on giving

No list of 2024 memes would be complete without Chahat Fateh Ali Khan, the internet’s favourite musical icon. His unique performances and eccentric style made him a meme magnet.

His song Bado Badi was a huge viral sensation through out the year. 

The uniquely captivating entertainer expressed his desire to be the "only" coach of the Pakistan cricket team in an interview with Geo News.

From PSL celebrations to random TikTok compilations, Chahat’s expressions and antics brought endless joy to fans, cementing his status as a cultural phenomenon. One TikToker even went as far as to claim that not even the Ambani's could afford the Pakistani sensation.

Memes in 2024 were more than just jokes; they reflected the mood of the nation, blending humour with sharp social commentary. Whether poking fun at politics, celebrating sports heroes, or simply enjoying the quirks of viral personalities, Pakistan’s memes reminded us of the power of laughter. As we step into 2025, we can only hope for more moments to meme-ify and share.

Happy New Year, and happy meme-ing!

Taha Ali Jaffry is a staffer at Geo.tv.