1970 General & Provincial Elections
Pakistan's first general elections were held in 1970 during the Military regime of Yahya Khan. The government claimed that these elections had a high level of public particpation and a turnout of almost 63%.
Twenty-four political parties participated in the elections. The total number of registered voters in the country was 56,941,500 out of which 31,211,220 were from the Eastern Wing, while 25,730,280 from the Western Wing.
A total of 1,957 candidates filed nomination papers for 300 National Assembly seats. After scrutiny and withdrawals, 1,579 eventually contested the elections. Awami League ran 170 candidates, of which 162 were for constituencies in East Pakistan. The party that ran the second-highest number of candidates was Jamaat-i-Islami. It filed nomination papers for 151 candidates. The Pakistan Peoples Party ran only 120 candidates, of which 103 were from constituencies in the Punjab and Sindh. The Pakistan Peoples Party had no candidates in East Pakistan. The Convention Muslim League ran 124 candidates, the Council Muslim League 119 and the Qayyum Muslim League 133. The polls in East Pakistan, originally scheduled for October, were delayed by disastrous floods in that region, and rescheduled for December, and in some cases, January.
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Party Position 1970 Elections
Seats and percentage of total vote polled |
Party |
Punjab |
Sind |
NWFP |
Baluch istan |
West |
East |
Total |
Awami League |
0 (0.07%) |
0 (0.07%) |
0 (0.2%) |
0 (1.0%) |
0 |
160 (74.9%) |
160 (38.3%) |
Pakistan Peoples Party |
62(41.6%) |
18(44.9%) |
1(14.2%) |
0 (2.3%) |
81 |
0 |
81 (19.5%) |
PML (Q) |
1(5.4%) |
1(10.7%) |
7(22.6%) |
0(10.9%) |
9 |
0(1.0%) |
9 (4.5%) |
PML Convention |
7(5.1%) |
0(1.7%) |
0 |
0 |
7 |
0(2.8%) |
7(3.3%) |
Jamiat e Ulema Islam |
0(5.2%) |
0(4.3%) |
6(25.4%) |
1(20.0%) |
7 |
0(0.9%) |
7(4.0%) |
Markazi Jamiat Ulema Pakistan |
4(9.8%) |
3(7.4%) |
0(0%) |
0 |
7 |
0 |
7 (4.0%) |
National Awami Party(Wali) |
0 |
0(0.3%) |
3(18.4%) |
3(45.1%) |
6 |
0(1.8%) |
6(2.3%) |
Jamaat e Islami |
1(4.7%) |
2(10.3%) |
1(7.2%) |
0(1.1%) |
4 |
0(6.0%) |
4(6.0%) |
PML (Council) |
2(12.6%) |
0(6.8%) |
0(4.0%) |
0(10.9%) |
2 |
0(1.6%) |
2 (6.0%) |
PDP |
0(2.2%) |
0(0.04%) |
0(0.3%) |
0(0.3%) |
0 |
1(2.2%) |
1(2.9%) |
Independents |
5(11.8%) |
3(10.7%) |
7(6.0%) |
0(6.8%) |
15 |
1(3.4%) |
16(7.1%) |
Total seats |
82 |
27 |
25 |
4 |
138 |
162 |
300 |
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Provincial Party Position 1970 Elections
Party |
Punjab |
Sind |
NWFP |
Baluchistan |
West Pakistan |
East Pakistan |
Total |
Awami League |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
288 |
288 |
Pakistan Peoples Party |
113 |
28 |
3 |
0 |
144 |
0 |
8 |
PML (Qayyum) |
6 |
5 |
10 |
3 |
24 |
0 |
24 |
PML (Convention) |
15 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
21 |
1 |
22 |
JUI |
2 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
8 |
0 |
8 |
MJUP |
4 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
0 |
11 |
NAP(W) |
0 |
0 |
13 |
8 |
21 |
1 |
22 |
JI |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
PML (Council) |
6 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
8 |
PDP |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
6 |
Others |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
Ind |
28 |
14 |
6 |
5 |
53 |
7 |
60 |
Total seats |
180 |
60 |
40 |
20 |
300 |
300 |
600 |
The Awami League emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly by winning 160 seats in the National Assembly. It won 288 of the 300 East Pakistan Assembly seats. However, the party won no seats in the four Provincial Assemblies of West Pakistan. The Pakistan Peoples Party won 81 of 138 West Pakistan seats in the National Assembly. The party also performed well in the Provincial Assembly polls of the Punjab and Sindh Assemblies.
In these elections, the so-called "rightist" parties were said to be completely routed, perhaps because of the division of votes among several candidates on almost every seat: the Qayyum Muslim League, Council Muslim League, Convention Muslim League, Jamiyat-i-Ulema-i-Islam, Jamiyat-i-Ulema-i-Pakistan and Jamaat-i-Islami combined won only 37 National Assembly seats. The National Awami Party and Jamiyat-i-Ulema-i-Islam emerged as the prominent parties in the N.W.F.P and Baluchistan Assemblies.
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1977 General Elections
On January 7, 1977, Prime Minister Bhutto announced snap elections, and the general elections to the provincial and national assemblies were held on March 7 and 10 1977, respectively. To many, the quick election date idea was arranged as not to give sufficient time to the opposition in order to make decisions and arrangements for the forthcoming elections. The total registered voters in the country were 30,899,052.
On January 11 1977, all major and some minor opposition parties had cobbled together an electoral alliance, the Pakistan National Alliance (PNA), to contest elections against Bhutto’s PPP.
The official turnout figure was 63 percent – if 19 uncontested seats were discounted, the turnout was 80 percent (the PNA boycotted the Balochistan elections because of the at the time ongoing military operation). The PPP won 58.1 percent of all the votes that were cast, and 136 of the 173 contested NA seats. The PNA won only 35.1 per cent of the vote and 36 seats. PPP had already won 19 NA seats unopposed including the home seat of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in Larkana. The PNA levelled allegations of massive rigging in the polling and boycotted the provincial elections
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Seats Won in the 1977 Elections
Party |
Punjab |
Sind |
NWFP |
Baluc histan |
Islamabad |
Tribal Areas |
Total |
Pakistan Peoples Party |
107 (93%) |
32 (74%) |
8 (31%) |
7 (100%) |
1 (100%) |
0 |
115 (77.5%) |
Pakistan National Alliance |
8 (7%) |
11 (26%) |
17 (65%) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
36 (18%) |
Independent |
0 |
0 |
1 (4%) |
0 |
0 |
8 (100%) |
9(4.5%) |
Total Seats |
115 |
43 |
26 |
7 |
1 |
8 |
200 |
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Pakistan 1988 Legislative Election
| Chamber |
National Assembly |
| Date of Election |
November 16, 1988 |
| Type of Electoral System |
Majority |
| Number of Seats Available |
237 * |
Length of Legislative Term |
2 years |
|
Number of Seats |
Percentage of Votes |
Muslim Seats |
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) |
92 |
- |
Islam-e-Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI - Islamic Democratic Alliance) |
55 |
- |
Muhajir Qaumi Mahaz (MQM - Muhajir National Movement) |
13 |
- |
Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e-Islam (JUI - Assembly of Islamic Clerty) |
8 |
- |
Awami National Party (ANP) |
3 |
- |
Pakistan Awami Ittehad (PAI - Pakistan People's Alliance) |
3 |
- |
Baluchistan National Alliance (BNA) |
2 |
- |
National People's Party (NPP) |
1 |
- |
Pakistan Democratic Party (PDP) |
1 |
- |
Independents |
27 |
- |
Vacant |
2 ** |
- |
Non-Muslim Seats |
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) |
10 |
- |
Women Seats |
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) |
12 |
- |
Islam-e-Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI - Islamic Democratic Alliance) |
5 |
- |
Muhajir Qaumi Mahaz (MQM - Muhajir National Movement) |
1 |
- |
Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e-Islam (JUI - Assembly of Islamic Clerty) |
1 |
- |
Independent |
1 |
- |
217 seats (207 Muslim, 10 non-Muslim) were filled by direct election, with 20 reserved for women chosen by the elected members.
Population Size |
105 409 000 |
Registered Voters |
46 194 417 |
| Total Votes |
19 902 706 |
| Vote/Registered Voter |
43.1% |
Spoilt Ballots |
1.5% |
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Pakistan 1990 Legislative Election
| Chamber |
National Assembly |
| Date of Election |
October 24 and 27, 1990 |
| Type of Electoral System |
Majority |
| Number of Seats Available |
237 * |
Length of Legislative Term |
5 years |
|
Number of the Seats ** |
Percentage of Votes |
Islam-e-Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI - Islamic Democratic Alliance) |
105 |
- |
People's Democratic Alliance (PDA) |
45 |
- |
Mujajir Qaumi Mahaz (MQM - Muhajir National Movement) |
15 |
- |
Awami National Party (ANP) |
6 |
- |
Assembly of Islamic Clergy (JUI - Assembly of Islamic Clerty) |
6 |
- |
Others |
8 |
- |
Independents |
21 |
- |
Vacant |
1 *** |
- |
* 217 seats (207 Muslim, 10 non-Muslim) were filled by direct election, with 20 reserved for women chosen by elected members.
** election results of Muslim seats only.
*** Voting in one constituency was deferred because of the death of a candidate.
Population Size |
112 049 000 |
Registered Voters |
47 065 330 |
| Total Votes |
21 395 476 |
| Vote/Registered Voter |
45.5% |
Spoilt Ballots |
1.1% |
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Pakistan 1993 Legislative Election
| Chamber |
National Assembly |
| Dates of Election |
October 24 and 27, 1990 |
| Type of Electoral System |
Majority |
| Number of Seats Available |
237 * |
Length of Legislative Term |
5 years |
|
Number of the Seats ** |
Percentage of Votes |
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) |
86 |
- |
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) |
73 |
- |
Pakistan Muslim League-Junejo (PML-J) |
6 |
- |
Islamic Jamhoori Mahaz (IJM) |
3 |
- |
Awami National Party (ANP) |
3 |
- |
Muttahida Deeni Mahaz (MDM) |
3 |
- |
Pakhtoon Khawah Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) |
3 |
- |
Pakistan Islamic Front (PIF) |
3 |
- |
Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) |
2 |
- |
Baluchistan National Movement-Hai (BNM-H) |
1 |
- |
Baluchistan National Movement-Mengal (BNM-M) |
1 |
- |
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) |
1 |
- |
National People's Party (NPP) |
1 |
- |
Pakhtoon Khawah Quami Party (PKQP) |
1 |
- |
Independents |
15 |
- |
Vacant |
5 |
- |
* 217 seats (207 Muslim, 10 non-Muslim) were filled by direct election, with 20 reserved for women chosen by elected members.
** Election results of Muslim seats only.
Population Size |
122 802 000 |
Registered Voters |
55 000 000 |
| Total Votes |
22 550 000 |
| Vote/Registered Voter |
41.0% |
Spoilt Ballots |
- |
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* 217 seats (207 Muslim, 10 non-Muslim) were filled by direct election, with 20 reserved for women chosen by elected members.
** Election results of Muslim seats only.
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Pakistan 2002 Legislative Election
| Chamber |
National Assembly |
| Date of Election |
October 20, 2002 |
Type of Electoral System |
Majority |
| Number of Seats Available |
342 * |
Length of Legistative Term |
5 years |
|
Number of the Seats # |
Percentage of Votes # |
Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) |
80 |
28.42% |
Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q) |
118 |
26.3% |
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan (MMA) |
59 |
12.28% |
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) |
18 |
12.71% |
National Alliance (NA) |
16 |
0.49% |
|
Sindh Democratic Alliance |
|
- |
|
- |
Millat Party (MP) |
- |
- |
Others |
- |
- |
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM - Nationalist People's Movement) |
13 |
3.1% |
Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) |
4 |
1.1% |
Pakistan Muslim League-Junejo (PML-J) |
2 |
0.7% |
Pakistan People's Party-Sherpao (PPPS) |
2 |
0.3% |
Tehrik-e-Insaaf (Justice Movement) |
1 |
0.8% |
Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT - Pakistan People's Movement) |
1 |
0.7% |
Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) |
1 |
0.3% |
Pakistan Muslim League-Zia-ul-Haz-Shaheed (PML-Z) |
1 |
0.3% |
Pakistan Democratic Party (PDP) |
1 |
0.3% |
Baluchistan National Party (BNP) |
1 |
0.2% |
Independents |
21 |
14.1% |
*272 members were elected in single seat constituencies; 10 seats for minorities and 60 reserved for women nominated by political parties in accordance to their share of National Assembly seats.
Population Size |
- |
Registered Voters |
71 358 040 |
| Total Votes |
29 829 463 |
| Vote/Registered Voter |
41.80% |
Spoilt Ballots |
2.6% |
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