2018 Pakistani general election

2018 Pakistani general election
← 2013 25 July 2018 2024 →
All 342 seats in the National Assembly
172 seats needed for a majority
Turnout51.7%[1] (Decrease3.3pp)
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Imran Khan Shehbaz Sharif Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
Party PTI PML(N) PPP
Leader's seat Mianwali-I Lahore-X Larkana-I
Last election 16.92%, 35 seats 32.77%, 166 seats 15.23%, 42 seats
Seats won 149 82 54
Seat change Increase114 Decrease84 Increase12
Popular vote 16,903,702 12,934,589 6,924,356
Percentage 31.82% 24.35% 13.03%
Swing Increase14.90pp Decrease8.42pp Decrease2.29pp
Prime Minister before election

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi
PML(N)

Subsequent Prime Minister

Imran Khan
PTI

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General elections were held in Pakistan on 25 July 2018 to elect the members of the 15th National Assembly and the four Provincial Assemblies. The three major parties were Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by Imran Khan, the Pakistan Muslim League, led by Shehbaz Sharif, and the Pakistan People's Party, led by Bilawal Bhutto. The PTI won the most seats in the National Assembly but fell short of a majority; the party subsequently formed a coalition government with several smaller parties. At the provincial level, the PTI remained the largest party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP); the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) retained its dominance in Sindh; and the newly formed Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) emerged as the largest party in Balochistan. In Punjab, the result was a hung parliament, with the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML(N)) winning the most seats. However, after several independent MPAs joined the PTI, the latter became the largest party and was able to form a government.

Opinion polling prior to the campaigns starting had initially shown leads for the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML(N)) over the PTI. However, from an 11-point lead, the PML(N)'s lead began to diminish in the final weeks of the campaign, with some polls close to the election showing the PTI with a marginal but increasing lead. In the lead-up to the elections, there were rumours about pre-poll rigging being conducted by the judiciary, the military and the intelligence agencies to sway the election results in favour of the PTI and against the PML(N).[2][3] However, Reuters polling suggested PML(N)'s lead had genuinely narrowed in the run-up to the elections, and that the party had suffered "blow after blow" which caused setbacks to any hopes of re-election.[4]

Election day saw the PTI receive 32% of the vote (its highest share of the vote since its foundation), while the PML(N) received 24%. Following the elections, six major parties including PML(N) claimed there had been large-scale vote rigging and administrative malpractices.[5][6][7] Imran Khan, chairman of the PTI, proceeded to form a coalition government, announcing his cabinet shortly after the elections.[8] The newly formed coalition government included members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pakistan Muslim League (Q).[9]

Regarding the voting process, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) outrightly rejected reports of rigging and stated that the elections had been fair and free.[10][11][12] A top electoral watchdog, Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), also said that the 2018 general elections in Pakistan had been "more transparent in some aspects" than the previous polls.[13] In its preliminary report, the European Union Election Observation Mission said that no rigging had been observed during the election day in general, but found a "lack of equality" and criticized the process more than it had in the Pakistani election of 2013.[14][15]

This was also the third consecutive election from Pakistan's most recent transition to democracy where a democratic handover of power was observed.[16] The day after the election, despite reservations over the result, PML(N) conceded defeat.[17] Pakistan's election commission reiterated its position, rejecting reports of rigging.[18] The voter turnout dropped from 55.0% in 2013 to 51.7%.[19]

Although the election commission rejected rigging allegations,[20] there were claims that Khan was able to lure more electable candidates to his party than PML(N), which led to suggestions that there was electoral inequality.[21] However, the newly minted opposition decided against boycotting parliament, lending legitimacy to the electoral process by parliamentary participation.[22][23][24] Initially a recount was ordered in 14 constituencies because of procedural errors.[25] Moreover, procedural errors then led to a recount on 70 constituencies by the election commission (more than the winners margin of victory in Punjab and Federal elections).[26] After the conclusion of these recounts, the ECP published a seat tally which confirmed PTI's position of being the largest party in the National Assembly.[27] The margin for the Punjab election was narrow between Khan's PTI and Pakistan Muslim League (N), but independents and Pakistan Muslim League (Q) factions endorsed federal winners PTI, which led to Khan's party forming government in Punjab also.[28] Thus PML(N) lost the elections both at the provincial and the federal level,[29] becoming the opposition, nominating Shehbaz Sharif to be leader of the opposition at the federal level[30] and his son Hamza Shahbaz as opposition leader in Punjab.[31]

  1. ^ "Voter turnout in 2018 dropped by more than 3%". The Express Tribune. 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  2. ^ "The assault on Pakistan media ahead of vote". BBC News. 4 July 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  3. ^ Fair, C. Christine (27 July 2018). "Pakistan's Sham Election". Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  4. ^ "Blow after blow dims re-election hopes of Pakistan's ruling party". 11 May 2018. Archived from the original on 14 February 2019 – via uk.reuters.com.
  5. ^ "Ex-cricketer Khan leads Pakistan elections in early counting". BBC News. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  6. ^ Gannon, Kathy (26 July 2018). "Unofficial Results in Pakistan's Election Show Lead For Imran Khan, But Opponents Allege Fraud". Time Magazine. Archived from the original on 29 July 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  7. ^ Shah, Saeed (25 July 2018). "Ex-Cricket Star Imran Khan Headed for Pakistan Election Victory". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  8. ^ "Imran Khan Close to Forming Pakistan Coalition, Cabinet Decided". Bloomberg.com. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  9. ^ "Imran starts preparations for formation of govt at Centre". Dawn. 28 July 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  10. ^ "Pakistan election: Party of Ex-PM Nawaz Sharif concedes to Imran Khan". BBC News. 27 July 2018.
  11. ^ "ECP rejects political parties' claim of 'rigging' on election day". 25 July 2018.
  12. ^ "'PML-N rejects poll results,' declares Shahbaz Sharif". Dawn. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  13. ^ "FAFEN satisfied with transparency of polls, urges ECP to allay opposition's concerns". 27 July 2018.
  14. ^ Barker, Memphis (27 July 2018). "EU piles pressure on Imran Khan after Pakistan election". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  15. ^ "EU monitors team says Pakistan election not a level playing field". Geo TV news. 28 July 2018.
  16. ^ Iqbal, Anwar (7 July 2018). "Democratic transfer of power in Pakistan must continue, says Wells". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  17. ^ "Pakistan: Rival party concedes to Khan". BBC News. 27 July 2018.
  18. ^ "ECP rejects political parties' claim of 'rigging' on election day". The Express Tribune. 26 July 2018.
  19. ^ "Voter turnout in 2018 dropped by more than 3%". The Express Tribune. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  20. ^ "CEC rejects rigging charges, rebuffs resignation calls". The Express Tribune. 1 August 2018.
  21. ^ "The 'angels' at play in Pakistan election". BBC News. 25 July 2018.
  22. ^ "PML-N decides against parliament boycott". The Express Tribune. 29 July 2018.
  23. ^ Tahir, Zulqernain (29 July 2018). "PML-N unlikely to favour boycott of parliament". DAWN.COM.
  24. ^ Tahir, Zulqernain (27 July 2018). "PML-N decides against boycotting parliament". DAWN.COM.
  25. ^ "ECP okays recounting in 14 national, 10 provincial constituencies". The Express Tribune. 30 July 2018.
  26. ^ "ECP orders recount in 70 constituencies". The Express Tribune. 31 July 2018.
  27. ^ "Pakistan polls: PTI wins 115 NA seats as ECP releases final tally". The Daily Star. 28 July 2018.
  28. ^ "PTI lucky enough to form government in Punjab, 154 candidates support it". Dunya News.
  29. ^ Tahir, Zulqernain (14 August 2018). "Hamza PML-N choice for CM, opposition leader slots". DAWN.COM.
  30. ^ "PML-N chief Shahbaz Sharif set to become leader of opposition in NA". The Asian Age. 19 August 2018.
  31. ^ Malik, Arif (6 September 2018). "Hamza Shahbaz appointed opposition leader in Punjab Assembly". DAWN.COM.