This study assesses the major challenges faced by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in advancing democratic consolidation during its 2013–2018 tenure. Employing a qualitative analytical approach, drawing on secondary data, government reports, and scholarly literature, the paper examines how persistent civil-military tensions, judicial interventions, and politicized accountability reflected in the Panama Papers, Musharraf treason trial, and Dawn Leaks constrained civilian authority. The analysis further highlights governance obstacles arising from terrorism, political polarization, economic instability, and weak intra-party democracy, all of which undermined institutional performance and public trust. The findings demonstrate that these interconnected challenges limited the PML-N’s ability to translate electoral legitimacy into substantive democratic strengthening. The study concludes that sustainable democratic consolidation in Pakistan requires not only regular elections but also strong institutions, cooperative civil-military relations, a pluralistic political culture, and socio-economic stability capable of supporting long-term democratic reforms.