Pakistan’s electoral outcomes have not improved in representativeness over the past two decades, with successive National and Provincial Assemblies securing mandates from fewer than a quarter of registered voters and barely half of those who cast ballots.
This is highlighted in the latest report by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) titled “Representation in Pakistan’s Elections (2002–2024).”
The report underscores the systemic inadequacies in aligning the makeup of the legislatures with the voters’ intent, which drives the political instability in the country by eroding public trust in electoral outcomes.
It also calls for immediate parliamentary and political action to reform structural flaws in the existing First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) system, which is used to elect members on general seats in the National and Provincial Assemblies.
FAFEN’s analysis shows a persistent representation gap across five general elections since 2002.
The National Assembly, resulting from the general elections of 2002, enjoyed the support of 20 per cent of the registered voters and 47 per cent of the polled votes, while the Assembly, resulting from general elections in 2008, represented 22 per cent of the registered voters and 50 per cent of the polled votes.
Similarly, the Assemblies resulting from the general elections of 2013, 2018, and 2024 represented 26 per cent, 22 per cent, and 21 per cent of the registered voters and 48 per cent, 43 per cent, and 45 per cent of the polled votes, respectively.
The constituency-level analysis of the general elections 2024 results shows that none of the 265 constituencies returned a winner who secured a majority of the registered voters.
Almost three-quarters of the constituencies (202 or 76 per cent) returned winners supported by less than 25 per cent of the registered voters. In comparison, the winners in the remaining 63 (24 per cent) constituencies had a 25 per cent to 50 per cent support base among the registered voters.
Regarding polled votes, winners in 69 (26 per cent) National Assembly constituencies secured above 50 per cent of the polled votes, while the remaining 196 (74 per cent) secured less than half of the polled votes.
The outcome of provincial assemblies’ elections during GE-2024 mirrored national trends, as winners in only two constituencies secured more than 50 per cent of the registered votes.
In most (499 or 85 per cent) provincial constituencies, the proportion of winning candidates constituted less than 25 per cent of registered voters.
In terms of winners’ proportion of polled votes, winners in only 107 (18 per cent) provincial constituencies secured more than 50 per cent of the polled votes.
The report identifies the existing First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) electoral system as a key driver of unrepresentative outcomes.
While low voter turnout remains a concern, the FPTP system exacerbates the crisis by awarding victory to candidates who secure the most votes in a constituency, regardless of whether they achieve majority support.
In light of the report’s findings, FAFEN emphasizes the need for an informed and constructive debate on the election system’s representativeness and urges the Parliament to lead efforts to appraise the FPTP system, explore ways to enhance voter engagement and ensure more representative outcomes.
