Pakistan (Commonwealth Union)_ The final results of Pakistan’s highly contentious general elections were finally unveiled by the country’s election commission, providing a comprehensive overview of the standings of all political parties in both the national and provincial assemblies. Despite the culmination of this electoral process, the absence of a clear victor persists, leaving the political landscape in a state of uncertainty. The general elections, which took place on Thursday, were fraught with irregularities and marked by a notable delay in the declaration of results, prompting widespread allegations of vote tampering across various constituencies nationwide.
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Although both the imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led by ex-premier Nawaz Sharif have asserted their triumph, the likelihood of a coalition government looms large, given that no single party has garnered a decisive majority in the National Assembly. Despite facing significant challenges, including the absence of campaign rallies, the lack of polling agents on election day, and internet restrictions, allies of imprisoned ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan emerged as the frontrunners in the National Assembly, securing the highest number of seats in last Thursday’s contentious vote. However, their tally of 93 out of 265 National Assembly seats falls short of the requisite number needed to form a government independently.
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The remaining two prominent political entities, namely the PML-N under the leadership of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the PPP led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, also failed to amass adequate seats to independently establish a government. The PML-N clinched 75 seats, while the PPP secured 54. Pakistan’s parliament, particularly the National Assembly, holds significant sway in determining the country’s next prime minister, underscoring the critical importance of securing a majority.
A total of 854 national and provincial assembly constituencies were contested in the elections, with 348 independent candidates emerging successfully according to initial results. Notably, a majority of these independents were backed by Imran Khan’s PTI, compelled to run as independents due to the denial of the party’s electoral symbol. Among the major political factions, the PML-N emerged as the largest party with 227 seats, followed by the PPP with 160 seats, and the MQM-P with 45 seats. Additionally, independents secured 101 seats in the National Assembly, based on preliminary results.
To establish a strong government, a party must secure at least 133 seats out of the 265 contested seats in the National Assembly, or 169 seats out of the total of 336, factoring in reserved slots for women and minorities, the allocation of which will be determined later. The 2024 general elections witnessed a total of 60,508,212 votes cast nationwide across the 265 seats of the National Assembly. As the nation awaits the formation of the new government, discontent simmers among the populace regarding the electoral process and vote tabulation. Additionally, legal challenges have been initiated to contest certain results, accompanied by protests and accusations of vote manipulation, particularly from supporters of Imran Khan’s camp. Law enforcement authorities have resorted to measures like tear gas to disperse demonstrators, resulting in numerous arrests.
According to constitutional provisions, Pakistan’s president is obligated to convene the inaugural session of the newly elected National Assembly within 21 days of the election, by February 29. During this session, lawmakers are sworn in, and nominations are submitted for key positions such as the speaker and leader of the house. Subsequently, a new prime minister is elected through a parliamentary vote, requiring a simple majority to assume office. According to the section, “The National Assembly shall meet on the twenty-first day following the day on which a general election to the assembly is held, unless sooner summoned by the president”.
