[🇵🇰] Pakistan General Elections -- 2024

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How religious does your party have to be to win an election in Pakistan?

Religious parties like JI or JUI have never won enough votes in Pakistan, a country founded in the name of Islam. Is it the will of the people or the influence of electables that dictates electoral success?

Umair Rasheed
February 7, 2024

Why have, say, the Jamaat-i-Islami or the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam’s Samiul Haq never won enough votes to form the national government on their own in Pakistan? We are, after all, a country that was created in the name of Islam. Shouldn’t religious parties win more votes?

Two major reasons to explain this: The will of the people of Pakistan has to be accounted for. You ignore popular concerns such as the prices of petrol, potatoes, and power at your peril. Then you have to factor in those who control the levers of the Pakistani state and society. The powers-that-be play an outsized role in the electoral battlefield with their constituency-level lieutenants (read: electable politicians, who can sway election results one way or the other depending on the muscle of their biradari or the depth of their pockets).

Whoever wants to form the government must either have the blessings of the puppet masters, or be able to harness enough popular endorsement by personifying the will of the people. From Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to Imran Khan, however, none of the mainstream leaders have managed to unlock the second route to power. Thus, the tried-and-tested ingredient to forming a national government is electables who can reach the right numbers.

There are over two dozen religious political parties registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan. They all share the goal of Sharia-based governance. Some of them, such as the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam — Fazl (JUI-F) and the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) have wisened up, which means they may do well on February 8. The JUI-F stands out for its Deoband lineage, its sway over the Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, and its consistent electoral successes in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern Balochistan.

 

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5 unlikely candidates contesting tomorrow’s general elections​

Due to the PTI’s predicament, there are a number of unexpected candidates contesting this year’s polls as the party tries to circumvent obstacles in its path.

 

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New govt will have to go to the IMF: Shehbaz​

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has said that a new government following elections will be compelled to undertake major decisions and pursue another programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

 

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Electoral crown jewel Punjab ready for scintillating contests​

Feb 08,2024

Registered voters of the country’s most populous province will head to the ballot box to vote for candidates from their respective constituencies later today; and as always whosoever gets a majority in Punjab, will be in pole position to form a government in the Centre.

The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q), and the independent candidates of the now symbol-less Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), will step into electoral battle against each other for the 141 seats of the National Assembly from the province and 297 seats in the Punjab Assembly.

However, political analysts expect that on most seats up for grabs in the province, a resurgent PML-N and a mired in legal controversies PTI, will go head-to-head, despite the latter being stripped of its famous cricket bat symbol and most of its senior leadership presently incarcerated.

 

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The elusive mirage of level playing field​

Feb 08,

As Pakistan gears up for its 12th general elections, the dream of a "level playing field" remains an elusive mirage. The historical pendulum of victimisation and strategic manoeuvring continues to shape electoral outcomes, leaving voters to grapple with the complexities of a political landscape where fairness is often sacrificed at the altar of power dynamics.

In the intricate dance of power dynamics, the hurdles faced by PTI shed light on a historical pattern of political victimisation and strategic manoeuvring.

In the wake of the events on May 9, where PTI supporters face allegations of breaching military installations, the party is confronted with unparalleled difficulties.

Prominent figures such as Imran Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and Pervaiz Elahi now reside behind bars. Several influential members are either in hiding or are barred from participating in elections.

 

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Winning hand of king's party​

Feb 08, 2024

The result management system in Pakistan – which remains a festering source of most electoral controversies – seems to have a mind of its own, leaving most voters scratching their heads at the end of the polling day and election outcomes shrouded in mystery.

The “king’s party” ends up playing a winning hand, snagging more seats than its fair slice of the voting pie.

Regardless of candidates' meticulous calculations and prevailing conditions, the outcome of elections seems to defy both logic and proportional representation.

The number of votes for mainstream parties frequently fails to align harmoniously with the seats they secure.

Read detailed analysis here.

 

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Women turnout below 10% could result in re-election of that constituency, says ECP​

• Nearly 129 million registered voters in Pakistan are set to use their voting right

BR Web Desk
February 7, 2024

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is empowered to declare void a poll and order for re-election in a constituency where the overall turnout of women voters remains below 10% of the total votes cast, a ECP statement read on Wednesday.

Nearly 129 million registered voters in Pakistan are set to use their voting right as the fifth largest democracy in the world will choose its rulers for the next five years.

Out of the total registered voters, total male voters stand at 69,263,704, while 59,322,056 are female voters.

“If the total female voters’ count in a constituency remains below 10% of the total votes cast, the Election Commission of Pakistan, as per law, can void the voting in that constituency and order for re-polling,” the electoral watchdog said.

 

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