Pakistan general election 2024

Voting begins to elect a new government

On February 8, Pakistanis commenced voting in the general elections to select a new government for the financially strained nation, amidst speculation that the PML-N, led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, could emerge as the predominant party in Parliament with support from the influential military.

Voting commenced at 8:00 a.m. and will persist without interruption until 5:00 p.m. A nationwide public holiday has been announced to facilitate the 128,588,576 registered voters to participate in casting their ballots.

Counting will commence shortly after the conclusion of the voting process.

Approximately 650,000 security personnel have been deployed nationwide as over 128.5 million registered voters prepare to cast their ballots at 90,000 polling stations. Pakistan has opted to temporarily suspend mobile services due to the threat of militancy.

Amid former Prime Minister Imran Khan's imprisonment, there is speculation that Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will likely emerge as the leading party in the elections.

Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidates are participating in the elections independently after the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the election commission to strip his party of its distinctive election symbol, the cricket bat.

In a brief pre-recorded message, the incarcerated founding chairman of PTI encouraged voters to exercise their right to vote.

"Make sure you come out and vote in huge numbers tomorrow," he was quoted as saying in a video posted on his social media handle.

Sharif, aged 74, will be aiming for the premiership for a historic fourth term.

The contest also includes the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) led by Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who has been declared as the party's prime ministerial candidate.

Heightened security measures are crucial in light of the recent surge in violence, with the most recent incidents being two devastating bomb blasts targeting election offices on Wednesday in the volatile Balochistan province, resulting in at least 30 fatalities and over 40 injuries.

Punjab boasts the highest number of registered voters at 73,207,896, followed by Sindh with 26,994,769, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 21,928,119, Balochistan with 5,371,947, and the Federal Capital Islamabad with 1,083,029.

As per the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), a total of 5,121 candidates are competing for the National Assembly (NA) seats. Among them are 4,807 male candidates, 312 female candidates, and two transgender candidates. Additionally, for the four provincial assemblies, there are 12,695 candidates in the fray, including 12,123 male candidates, 570 female candidates, and two transgender candidates.

In total, 266 National Assembly (NA) seats were contested out of 336, but polling was postponed for at least one seat after a candidate was killed in a gun attack in Bajaur. Additionally, sixty seats are reserved for women and another ten for minorities, which are allocated to winning parties based on proportional representation.

An additional 593 seats in the four provincial assemblies, out of a total of 749, were open for contest, but the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) postponed polls on at least three seats. This decision was made after two candidates died and one was killed, with two of the delayed seats located in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and one in Punjab.

A total of 132 seats in the four provinces are reserved for women, and an additional 24 seats are reserved for minorities.

The reserved seats will be allocated to the winning political parties based on the general seats they secure in the elections. Additionally, both women and non-Muslim minorities have the opportunity to contest on all general seats, in addition to the reserved seats designated for them in the national and provincial assemblies.

Whoever emerges victorious in the February 8 polls will face a formidable challenge ahead, given the precarious state of the economy and the worsening security situation.

Economic experts are of the opinion that the new government will require an immediate IMF program with stricter conditions.

Pakistan's struggle against terrorism, spanning over two decades, is showing signs of unraveling, with insurgent groups resurging since 2021, particularly following the Afghan Taliban's assumption of power.

The incoming government will face greater challenges in dealing with militancy, particularly from banned groups like Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and Baloch nationalists.