Pakistani general election, 2008
Encyclopedia
A general election was held in Pakistan
on 18 February 2008, after being postponed from 8 January 2008. The original date was intended to elect members of the National Assembly of Pakistan
, the lower house of the Majlis-e-Shoora
(the nation's parliament). Pakistan's two main opposition parties, the Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (N)
(PML (N)) won the majority of seats in the election. The PPP and PML(N) formed the new coalition government
with Yosaf Raza Gillani as Prime Minister of Pakistan
.
On 3 November 2007, President and Chief of Army Staff Pervez Musharraf
enacted a state of emergency
. Elections were initially postponed indefinitely; however, it was later stated they would be held as planned. On 8 November 2007, Musharraf announced that the election would be held by 15 February 2008,. Later the election date was changed to occur on or before 9 January 2008. Even later, he suggested 8 January 2008 as the election date. Following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto
, the Election Commission announced, after a meeting in Islamabad, that a 8 January vote was no longer possible and the election would take place on 18 February.
Following the election, Musharraf acknowledged that the process had been free and fair. He conceded the defeat of the PML (Q) and pledged to work with the new Parliament. The voter turnout for the election was 35,170,435 people (44%). By-election
s for 28 seats (23 provincial and 5 national) have been delayed numerous times, with most of them now held on 26 June 2008.
. Bhutto's assassination raised many questions as to whether the general election would be postponed. Following the fatal attack, Pervez Musharraf held an emergency meeting with other government officials, but stated that "no decision had been made on whether to delay the national elections."
Bhutto had "become an appealing solution" to United States
officials frustrated with President Musharraf's failure to restore democracy to Pakistan, The New York Times
said.
Sharif stated after the assassination that his party would boycott the election. He later stated that his party would take part if Bhutto's PPP contests the election. The PPP then decided to name Bhutto's son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
, the new party leader with his father Asif Ali Zardari
as co-leader, as asked for in Benazir Bhutto's testament. The party also decided that it would contest the elections and stated that the elections should be held as planned.
The Pakistani Election Commission announced after a meeting in Islamabad that a 8 January vote was no longer possible and the election would take place on 18 February.
(CGEP) to the Election Commission of Pakistan
and the political parties. This suggests that all stakeholders should agree on a set of rules as early as possible, in order to provide a level playing field for a fair general election.
that Pakistan has not been doing enough to assist in their war on terrorism. Musharraf has rejected such claims, stating "The fight against terrorism and extremism, whether it is al-Qaeda or Taliban, can never succeed without Pakistan's cooperation and Pakistan is the only country that has delivered the maximum on both. We are tackling them with 30,000 troops. If there is anybody who is not doing enough, it is others who are not doing enough." Opposition parties, especially the religious Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
coalition, are opposed to Pakistan's role as ally of the United States in the War on Terrorism
. A car bomb killed 40 people and wounded 90 16 February 2008 in northern Pakistan when it exploded in front of an election office of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party
.
to ensure free and fair elections under a caretaker government. On 8 July 2007, opposition parties issued a declaration of their demands for the elections. The parties included are the Pakistan Peoples Party
, Pakistan Muslim League (N)
, and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
. Regarding the election, the declaration had the following clauses:
; the PPP, the largest opposition party, is not a part of this alliance.
As Musharraf had stated that the elections would be held under the 2007 Pakistani state of emergency
, at least three parties stated they will boycott such elections, fearing that they would not be free and fair: the PML (N), Jamaat-e-Islami
and Tehreek-i-Insaaf.
The opposition parties jointly stated that the elections could not be fair, as most opposition candidates were in jail under the state of emergency and thus unable to file nomination papers for the election.
On 23 November 2007, PPP members were given the go-ahead to register for the elections, while still reserving the decision to boycott the election.
Imran Khan
, the Tehreek-i-Insaaf leader, restated his call for a boycott on 23 November 2007, the day the APDM was to decide on whether to boycott the elections jointly.
Upon his return to Pakistan on 26 November 2007, Nawaz Sharif
stated he would run in the elections only if the state of emergency was lifted before the polls, and that he would not serve as Prime Minister under Musharraf. However, Sharif's candidacy was rejected on 3 December due to his prior criminal conviction.
On 10 December 2007, Sharif and Bhutto finally announced they would not boycott the election, despite their fears that the election would be neither free nor fair.
In a poll from the International Republican Institute
conducted from 19 January to 29 January, the PPP led with 50% (in 30 November%), followed by Sharif's PML-N with 22% (25%) and Musharraf's PML-Q with 14% (23%). Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
(MMA) had 1% (4%) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement
(MQM) 1% (2%). In the first three counts to finish, the opposition did well: The provincial assembly seat in Baluchistan
went to the PPP—the party of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto
-- while two independent candidates won seats from the northern tribal areas. Unofficial returns 19 February 2008 showed huge wins for the opposition parties of former Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif
and the slain Benazir Bhutto
, one day after a pivotal vote that could threaten Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf
's political viability. Pakistan's two main opposition parties, the PPP and the PML (N) announced 21 February 2008 they would form a new government together after their victory over President Pervez Musharraf
's allies in elections the week of 18 February 2008. Shortly after making their coalition official, Pakistan's main opposition parties, the Pakistan Peoples Party
and the Pakistan Muslim League (N)
, on 9 March 2008 called on President Pervez Musharraf
to immediately convene parliament (Majlis-e-Shoora
).
killed 27 and injured 37 attending a political rally for the Awami National Party
in Charsadda
. On 16 February, another suicide car bomb
killed 37 and injured 93 outside the residence of PPP candidate Riaz Shah in Parachinar
. The same day, a suicide attack on an army outpost in Swat Valley killed two civilians and injured eight people. A polling location in Bajaur
was destroyed by militants earlier.
, the party supporting Pervez Musharraf has been clearly defeated and all its main leaders including 22 former federal ministers which constitutes a bulk of the previous federal cabinet have faced crushing defeat. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain
(Party President/Former Prime Minister), Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi
(Former Chief Minister Punjab) (lost 2 out of 3 seats), Sheikh Rashid Ahmad (Former Railways Minister), Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi
(Former Minister for Parliamentary Affairs), Wasi Zafar
(Former Law Minister), Humayun Akhtar Khan
(Former Commerce Minister), Chaudhry Amir Hussain
(Former Speaker National Assembly), Rao Sikandar Iqbal
(Former Defense Minister), Hamid Nasir Chattha
(former Federal Minister), Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri
(Former Foreign Minister), Daniyal Aziz
(Chairman NRB
), Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar
(Former State Minister for Foreign Affairs), Awais Leghari
(Former IT Minister), Nasarullah Dareshak, Chaudhry Moonis Elahi (lost 1 out of 2 seats), Chaudhry Shahbaz Hussain (Former Minister for Population Welfare), Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq
(Former Minister for Religious Affairs), Liaquat Ali Jatoi
(Former Minister for Water and Power), Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind (Former Minister for States and Frontier Regions), Naurez Shakoor (Former Minister for Science and Technology), Ishaq Khakwani (Former State Minister for IT), Sikandar Hayat Bosan (Former Minister for Food and Agriculture), Ghulam Sarwar Khan (Former Minister for Labour and Manpower) to include the few, have lost their seats.
On 21 February, it was announced that the PPP and the PML (N) would form a coalition government
. The coalition would also include the Awami National Party
.
The electoral commission released final results on 6 March for all but 11 seats. These results showed the PPP with 120 seats and the PML(N) with 90 seats.
The Election Commission allocates the 60 seats reserved for women and the 10 seats reserved for religious minorities among the various parties in proportion to the number of general seats each party won (province by province for the 60 women, nationally for the 10 minorities). However for this calculation "the total number of general seats won by a political party shall include the independent returned candidate or candidates who may duly join such political party within three days of the publications in the official Gazette of the names of the returned candidates."
s for 28 seats (23 provincial and 5 national) have been delayed numerous times, and are currently unscheduled. They are being contested, among others, by Nawaz Sharif
(who initially stated he had withdrawn, but then appeared to be contesting the election nonetheless; his brother Shehbaz Sharif will also run in the by-elections) and Asif Ali Zardari
.
The by-elections had originally planned for 3 June 2008, then postponed to 18 June 2008; a further planned postponement to 18 August 2008 due to security reasons met with large-scale opposition, leading to a rescheduling at the time to 26 June 2008. PPP announced it would not run in the by-elections which prominent leaders of the PML-N would contest. On 23 June 2008, Sharif was again banned from the election due to his earlier court conviction, leading the Supreme Court
on 25 June 2008 to postpone the by-election for Sharif's seat until after appeal deliberations which begin on 30 June 2008 are concluded. By-elections for the other seats were held as planned on 26 June 2008.
59 candidates contested the five national seats, while the 282 candidates contesting the provincial seats were divided as follow:
Unofficial results showed that PML-N had won three national seats and PPP the other two; of the provincial seats, PML-N won eight, PPP seven, the Awami National Party
two and independent
s six. Turnout was reportedly low.
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
on 18 February 2008, after being postponed from 8 January 2008. The original date was intended to elect members of the National Assembly of Pakistan
National Assembly of Pakistan
The National Assembly of Pakistan is the lower house of the bicameral Majlis-e-Shura, which also compromises the President of Pakistan and Senate . The National Assembly and the Senate both convene at Parliament House in Islamabad...
, the lower house of the Majlis-e-Shoora
Majlis-e-Shoora
The Parliament of Pakistan, officially termed the Majlis-e-Shoora ; is the federal and supreme legislative body of Pakistan. It is a bicameral federal legislature that consists of the Senate and the National Assembly, the upper and lower houses, respectively...
(the nation's parliament). Pakistan's two main opposition parties, the Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
(PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (N)
Pakistan Muslim League (N)
The Pakistan Muslim League is a conservative political party in Pakistan, affiliated with Western conservatism...
(PML (N)) won the majority of seats in the election. The PPP and PML(N) formed the new coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
with Yosaf Raza Gillani as Prime Minister of Pakistan
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
.
On 3 November 2007, President and Chief of Army Staff Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
enacted a state of emergency
2007 Pakistani state of emergency
A state of emergency was declared by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on November 3, 2007, and lasted until December 15, 2007,during which time the constitution of Pakistan was suspended....
. Elections were initially postponed indefinitely; however, it was later stated they would be held as planned. On 8 November 2007, Musharraf announced that the election would be held by 15 February 2008,. Later the election date was changed to occur on or before 9 January 2008. Even later, he suggested 8 January 2008 as the election date. Following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto
Assassination of Benazir Bhutto
The assassination of Benazir Bhutto occurred on 27 December 2007 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Bhutto, twice Prime Minister of Pakistan and then-leader of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, had been campaigning ahead of elections due in January 2008...
, the Election Commission announced, after a meeting in Islamabad, that a 8 January vote was no longer possible and the election would take place on 18 February.
Following the election, Musharraf acknowledged that the process had been free and fair. He conceded the defeat of the PML (Q) and pledged to work with the new Parliament. The voter turnout for the election was 35,170,435 people (44%). By-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
s for 28 seats (23 provincial and 5 national) have been delayed numerous times, with most of them now held on 26 June 2008.
Bhutto assassination
The 2008 Pakistani election was dealt a great shock on 27 December 2007 when Benazir Bhutto was assassinated while leaving a rally in RawalpindiRawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
. Bhutto's assassination raised many questions as to whether the general election would be postponed. Following the fatal attack, Pervez Musharraf held an emergency meeting with other government officials, but stated that "no decision had been made on whether to delay the national elections."
Bhutto had "become an appealing solution" to United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
officials frustrated with President Musharraf's failure to restore democracy to Pakistan, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said.
Sharif stated after the assassination that his party would boycott the election. He later stated that his party would take part if Bhutto's PPP contests the election. The PPP then decided to name Bhutto's son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
Bilawal Zardari Bhutto is the Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party. He is the only son of President Asif Ali Zardari and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.-Early life and education:...
, the new party leader with his father Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party . He is also the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister....
as co-leader, as asked for in Benazir Bhutto's testament. The party also decided that it would contest the elections and stated that the elections should be held as planned.
The Pakistani Election Commission announced after a meeting in Islamabad that a 8 January vote was no longer possible and the election would take place on 18 February.
Code of conduct
Code of conduct for the election has been proposed by the Citizens' Group on Electoral ProcessCitizens' Group on Electoral Process
The Citizens' Group on Electoral Process is a Pakistani organisation that was created to ensure free, fair and credible elections take place in the country.-References:...
(CGEP) to the Election Commission of Pakistan
Election Commission of Pakistan
The Election Commission of Pakistan is an independent and autonomous constitutional body charged with the function of conducting transparent, free, fair and impartial elections to the National and Provincial Assemblies. The holding of elections to the office of the President and the Senate are,...
and the political parties. This suggests that all stakeholders should agree on a set of rules as early as possible, in order to provide a level playing field for a fair general election.
Terrorism
There have been concerns from the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that Pakistan has not been doing enough to assist in their war on terrorism. Musharraf has rejected such claims, stating "The fight against terrorism and extremism, whether it is al-Qaeda or Taliban, can never succeed without Pakistan's cooperation and Pakistan is the only country that has delivered the maximum on both. We are tackling them with 30,000 troops. If there is anybody who is not doing enough, it is others who are not doing enough." Opposition parties, especially the religious Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal is a coalition of Islamist parties that was formed in 2002 to electorally challenge the Pakistan Parliament's incumbent parties...
coalition, are opposed to Pakistan's role as ally of the United States in the War on Terrorism
War on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
. A car bomb killed 40 people and wounded 90 16 February 2008 in northern Pakistan when it exploded in front of an election office of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
.
Fairness of elections
A number of opposition parties have called for the resignation of President Pervez MusharrafPervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
to ensure free and fair elections under a caretaker government. On 8 July 2007, opposition parties issued a declaration of their demands for the elections. The parties included are the Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
, Pakistan Muslim League (N)
Pakistan Muslim League (N)
The Pakistan Muslim League is a conservative political party in Pakistan, affiliated with Western conservatism...
, and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal is a coalition of Islamist parties that was formed in 2002 to electorally challenge the Pakistan Parliament's incumbent parties...
. Regarding the election, the declaration had the following clauses:
Parties
Thirty-two parties opposed to Musharraf have joined together in a loose political alliance called All Parties Democratic MovementAll Parties Democratic Movement
The All Parties Democratic Movement is a Pakistani political alliance consisting of thirty-two parties opposed to the military rule of Pervez Musharraf.-Members:Its members include:* Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf* Pakistan Muslim League...
; the PPP, the largest opposition party, is not a part of this alliance.
As Musharraf had stated that the elections would be held under the 2007 Pakistani state of emergency
2007 Pakistani state of emergency
A state of emergency was declared by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on November 3, 2007, and lasted until December 15, 2007,during which time the constitution of Pakistan was suspended....
, at least three parties stated they will boycott such elections, fearing that they would not be free and fair: the PML (N), Jamaat-e-Islami
Jamaat-e-Islami
This article is about Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan. For other organizations of similar name see Jamaat-e-Islami The Jamaat-e-Islami , is a Pro-Muslim political party in Pakistan...
and Tehreek-i-Insaaf.
The opposition parties jointly stated that the elections could not be fair, as most opposition candidates were in jail under the state of emergency and thus unable to file nomination papers for the election.
On 23 November 2007, PPP members were given the go-ahead to register for the elections, while still reserving the decision to boycott the election.
Imran Khan
Imran Khan
Imran Khan Niazi is a Pakistani politician and former Pakistani cricketer, playing international cricket for two decades in the late twentieth century. After retiring, he entered politics...
, the Tehreek-i-Insaaf leader, restated his call for a boycott on 23 November 2007, the day the APDM was to decide on whether to boycott the elections jointly.
Upon his return to Pakistan on 26 November 2007, Nawaz Sharif
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani conservative politician and steel magnate who served as 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993, and from February 1997 to October 12, 1999...
stated he would run in the elections only if the state of emergency was lifted before the polls, and that he would not serve as Prime Minister under Musharraf. However, Sharif's candidacy was rejected on 3 December due to his prior criminal conviction.
On 10 December 2007, Sharif and Bhutto finally announced they would not boycott the election, despite their fears that the election would be neither free nor fair.
In a poll from the International Republican Institute
International Republican Institute
Founded in 1983, the International Republican Institute is an organization, funded by the United States government, that conducts international political programs, sometimes labeled 'democratization programs'....
conducted from 19 January to 29 January, the PPP led with 50% (in 30 November%), followed by Sharif's PML-N with 22% (25%) and Musharraf's PML-Q with 14% (23%). Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal is a coalition of Islamist parties that was formed in 2002 to electorally challenge the Pakistan Parliament's incumbent parties...
(MMA) had 1% (4%) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement
Muttahida Qaumi Movement
Muttahida Qaumi Movement generally known as MQM, is a liberal-secular political party of Pakistan. It is generally known as a party which holds immense mobilizing potential in province of Sindh...
(MQM) 1% (2%). In the first three counts to finish, the opposition did well: The provincial assembly seat in Baluchistan
Balochistan (Pakistan)
Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
went to the PPP—the party of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
-- while two independent candidates won seats from the northern tribal areas. Unofficial returns 19 February 2008 showed huge wins for the opposition parties of former Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani conservative politician and steel magnate who served as 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993, and from February 1997 to October 12, 1999...
and the slain Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
, one day after a pivotal vote that could threaten Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
's political viability. Pakistan's two main opposition parties, the PPP and the PML (N) announced 21 February 2008 they would form a new government together after their victory over President Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
's allies in elections the week of 18 February 2008. Shortly after making their coalition official, Pakistan's main opposition parties, the Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
and the Pakistan Muslim League (N)
Pakistan Muslim League (N)
The Pakistan Muslim League is a conservative political party in Pakistan, affiliated with Western conservatism...
, on 9 March 2008 called on President Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
to immediately convene parliament (Majlis-e-Shoora
Majlis-e-Shoora
The Parliament of Pakistan, officially termed the Majlis-e-Shoora ; is the federal and supreme legislative body of Pakistan. It is a bicameral federal legislature that consists of the Senate and the National Assembly, the upper and lower houses, respectively...
).
Pre-election violence
In the weeks preceding the election, there were several attacks targeting politicians and political rallies. On 9 February, a suicide car bomb2008 Charsadda bombing
In the Charsadda bombing of February 9, 2008, a suicide bomber killed 27 people in Charsadda, Pakistan attending a political rally for the opposition Awami National Party...
killed 27 and injured 37 attending a political rally for the Awami National Party
Awami National Party
The Awami National Party is an Pashtun nationalist, socialist, centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International...
in Charsadda
Charsadda
Charsadda is a town and headquarters of Charsadda District, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at 34°8'43N 71°43'51E with an altitude of 276 metres and lies 29 kilometres from the provincial capital - Peshawar....
. On 16 February, another suicide car bomb
2008 Parachinar bombing
In the Parachinar bombing of February 16, 2008, a suicide bomber in Parachinar, Pakistan killed 47 people and injured 93 attending a political rally for the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party. The attack occurred on the eve of the 2008 Pakistani general election to be held on February 18. The attack...
killed 37 and injured 93 outside the residence of PPP candidate Riaz Shah in Parachinar
Parachinar
Parachinar is the capital of Kurram Agency, FATA of Pakistan. It is about 290 km west of the capital, Islamabad...
. The same day, a suicide attack on an army outpost in Swat Valley killed two civilians and injured eight people. A polling location in Bajaur
Bajaur
Bajaur or Bajur or Bajour is an Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Smallest of the agencies in FATA, it has a hilly terrain. According to the 1998 census, the population was 595,227 but other more recent estimates it has grown to 757,000...
was destroyed by militants earlier.
Result
Anti-Musharraf parties PPP and PML(N) have emerged as victorious from the unofficial results. Pakistan Muslim League (Q)Pakistan Muslim League (Q)
The Pakistan Muslim League or officially Pakistan Muslim League is a centrist, modern political party in Pakistan. The present form of PML-Q was formed prior to 2002 general elections....
, the party supporting Pervez Musharraf has been clearly defeated and all its main leaders including 22 former federal ministers which constitutes a bulk of the previous federal cabinet have faced crushing defeat. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain
Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain
Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain is a politician from Pakistan who was the Prime Minister of that country from June 30, 2004 until August 28 2004...
(Party President/Former Prime Minister), Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi , is a Pakistani politician. He was the Chief Minister of Pakistan's most populous province, Punjab, from 2002 to 2007. He is a senior leader and Provincial President of Pakistan Muslim League, Punjab....
(Former Chief Minister Punjab) (lost 2 out of 3 seats), Sheikh Rashid Ahmad (Former Railways Minister), Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi
Sher Afgan Niazi
Dr. Sher Afgan Khan Niazi is from the famous pashtun tribe of Niazi. He was the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs of Pakistan. He was elected to National Assembly as a member of Muslim League . Sher Afgan Niazi helped President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf to replace the judges of the Supreme...
(Former Minister for Parliamentary Affairs), Wasi Zafar
Wasi Zafar
Muhammad Wasi Zafar, , is a Pakistani politician. He was the former Law minister of Pakistan. He was born in the city of Multan in Punjab. He is a lawyer and became a member of the National Assembly on a PML ticket...
(Former Law Minister), Humayun Akhtar Khan
Humayun Akhtar Khan
Humayun Akhtar Khan is a Pakistani politician. He served as the Federal Minister for Trade and Commerce from 2002–2007 and as the Federal Minister for Investment from 1997-1999. His father General Akhtar Abdur Rahman served as Director General of the ISI in the 1980's and played a crucial role in...
(Former Commerce Minister), Chaudhry Amir Hussain
Chaudhry Amir Hussain
Chaudhry Amir Hussain is a Pakistani politician. He was the 17th Speaker of National Assembly of Pakistan, serving from 2002 to 2008.Hussain was born in Sialkot, Punjab in a Gujjar family of subcast khatana and was elected as Speaker of the National Assembly on November 19, 2002, succeeding Elahi...
(Former Speaker National Assembly), Rao Sikandar Iqbal
Rao Sikandar Iqbal
-Biography:Born in 1943, Iqbal took his primary education in Quetta, after which he joined the Forman Christian College in Lahore. He held a LLB from Punjab University Law College, and he was the Secretary General of the Students Union of the University ....
(Former Defense Minister), Hamid Nasir Chattha
Hamid Nasir Chattha
Chaudhry Hamid Nasir Chattha is a politician from Gujranwala, Punjab, Pakistan. He was born on November 15, 1944 at Lahore. Hamid Nasir Chattha is currently a Member of Punjab Assembly, Pakistan after losing in 2008 National Assembly elections. He was previously elected as an MNA in 1985, 1990,...
(former Federal Minister), Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri
Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri
Mian Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri is a Pakistani politician and diplomat. He was the Foreign Minister of Pakistan from 2002 to 2007.- Family background :Khurshid M. Kasuri belongs to one of the old political families of Pakistan...
(Former Foreign Minister), Daniyal Aziz
Daniyal Aziz
Daniyal Aziz was the chairman of the National Reconstruction Bureau , an institution within the Government of Pakistan. He was elected to the Pakistan National Assembly in 1997 for the NA-116 constituency and again in 2002...
(Chairman NRB
National Reconstruction Bureau
The National Reconstruction Bureau is located in Islamabad, Pakistan. The bureau was established on the 18th November, 1999 with the mission to formulate policy for reconstruction...
), Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar
Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar
Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar was Minister of State for Foreign Affairs within Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2007.Prior to entering politics he qualified as a Barrister-at-Law in London, following which he was an associate at Orr, Dignam & Co., Pakistan's leading corporate law...
(Former State Minister for Foreign Affairs), Awais Leghari
Awais Leghari
Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari , or Owais Leghari, is the former Federal Minister for Information Technology of the Government of Pakistan. Leghari comes from a feudal political family of Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab. He is the son of Farooq Leghari former President of Pakistan...
(Former IT Minister), Nasarullah Dareshak, Chaudhry Moonis Elahi (lost 1 out of 2 seats), Chaudhry Shahbaz Hussain (Former Minister for Population Welfare), Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq
Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq
Ch Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq is a prominent Pakistani politician and a businessman who served as a Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Minorities under the Government of Prime minister Shaukat Aziz. A former Pakistan Army officer, Haq joined the Pakistan Army in 1971, as second lieutnenat, but...
(Former Minister for Religious Affairs), Liaquat Ali Jatoi
Liaquat Ali Jatoi
Liaquat Ali Jatoi is a Pakistani politician who was Chief Minister of Sindh during 1997-1998.Jatoi belongs to Dadu District in the province of Sindh, Pakistan...
(Former Minister for Water and Power), Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind (Former Minister for States and Frontier Regions), Naurez Shakoor (Former Minister for Science and Technology), Ishaq Khakwani (Former State Minister for IT), Sikandar Hayat Bosan (Former Minister for Food and Agriculture), Ghulam Sarwar Khan (Former Minister for Labour and Manpower) to include the few, have lost their seats.
On 21 February, it was announced that the PPP and the PML (N) would form a coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
. The coalition would also include the Awami National Party
Awami National Party
The Awami National Party is an Pashtun nationalist, socialist, centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International...
.
The electoral commission released final results on 6 March for all but 11 seats. These results showed the PPP with 120 seats and the PML(N) with 90 seats.
National Assembly
| Parties | Votes | % | Elected seats | Reserved seats (women) | Reserved seats (minorities) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan Peoples Party Pakistan Peoples Party The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan... |
10,606,486 | 30.6% | 97 | 23 | 4 | 124 |
| Pakistan Muslim League (N) Pakistan Muslim League (N) The Pakistan Muslim League is a conservative political party in Pakistan, affiliated with Western conservatism... |
6,781,445 | 19.6% | 71 | 17 | 3 | 91 |
| Pakistan Muslim League (Q) Pakistan Muslim League (Q) The Pakistan Muslim League or officially Pakistan Muslim League is a centrist, modern political party in Pakistan. The present form of PML-Q was formed prior to 2002 general elections.... |
7,989,817 | 23.0% | 42 | 10 | 2 | 54 |
| Muttahida Qaumi Movement Muttahida Qaumi Movement Muttahida Qaumi Movement generally known as MQM, is a liberal-secular political party of Pakistan. It is generally known as a party which holds immense mobilizing potential in province of Sindh... |
2,507,813 | 7.4% | 19 | 5 | 1 | 25 |
| Awami National Party Awami National Party The Awami National Party is an Pashtun nationalist, socialist, centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International... |
700,479 | 2.0% | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal is a coalition of Islamist parties that was formed in 2002 to electorally challenge the Pakistan Parliament's incumbent parties...
Note: Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamaat-e-Islami Jamaat-e-Islami This article is about Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan. For other organizations of similar name see Jamaat-e-Islami The Jamaat-e-Islami , is a Pro-Muslim political party in Pakistan... , Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan The Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan is a political party in Pakistan. It is part of the Islamic Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, that won at the last legislative elections, 20 October 2002, 11.3 of the popular vote and 53 out of 272 elected members.This party belongs to the Sunni current, which in... , Tehrik-e-Jafaria Pakistan and Jamiat Ahle Hadith Jamiat Ahle Hadith Jamiat Ahle Hadith is a religio-political party in Pakistan promoting the Ahle Hadees religious movement. It is part of the Islamic fundamentalist Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, that won at the last legislative elections, 20 October 2002 with 11.3 percent of the popular vote... did not participate. |
772,798 | 2.2% | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Pakistan Muslim League (F) Pakistan Muslim League (F) The Pakistan Muslim League is a political party in Pakistan. It is one of the factions of the original Pakistan Muslim League. The letter 'F' in its name stands for functional. It is primarily associated with the Sindhi religious leader Pir Pagara... |
4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | ||
| Pakistan Peoples Party (Sherpao) | 140,707 | 0.4% | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| National Peoples Party National Peoples Party The National Peoples Party is a political party in Pakistan most active in the province of Sindh and southern parts of Punjab. It was founded in 1986 by Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi after falling out with Benazir Bhutto and leaving her Pakistan Peoples Party.In the 2008 Pakistani general elections the... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Balochistan National Party (Awami) Balochistan National Party The Balochistan National Party or Balochistan National Party is a political party in Balochistan, Pakistan... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Independents | 18 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| Total (turnout 44%) | 34,665,978 | 100% | 270 | 60 | 10 | 340 |
| Source: Election Commission of Pakistan, Adam Carr's Electoral Archive | ||||||
The Election Commission allocates the 60 seats reserved for women and the 10 seats reserved for religious minorities among the various parties in proportion to the number of general seats each party won (province by province for the 60 women, nationally for the 10 minorities). However for this calculation "the total number of general seats won by a political party shall include the independent returned candidate or candidates who may duly join such political party within three days of the publications in the official Gazette of the names of the returned candidates."
Provincial assemblies
| Parties | Punjab Provincial Assembly of the Punjab The Provincial Assembly of the Punjab is a unicameral legislature of elected representatives of the province of Punjab, which is located in Lahore in eastern Pakistan... |
Sindh Provincial Assembly of Sindh The Provincial Assembly of the Sindh is a unicameral house of elected representatives of people of Sindh established under Article 106 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan... |
NWFP Provincial Assembly of the North-West Frontier Province The Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the unicameral legislative body of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It was established under Article 106 of the Constitution of the Pakistan... |
Balochistan Provincial Assembly of Balochistan The Provincial Assembly of Balochistan is one of the four provincial assemblies of Pakistan, and the seat of the Government of Balochistan. The Balochistan assembly is the unicameral legislature of the province of Balochistan. It was established under Article 106 of the Constitution of the Pakistan... |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan Peoples Party Pakistan Peoples Party The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan... |
107 | 93 | 30 | 12 | ||
| Pakistan Muslim League (N) Pakistan Muslim League (N) The Pakistan Muslim League is a conservative political party in Pakistan, affiliated with Western conservatism... |
171 | 0 | 9 | 1 | ||
| Pakistan Muslim League (Q) Pakistan Muslim League (Q) The Pakistan Muslim League or officially Pakistan Muslim League is a centrist, modern political party in Pakistan. The present form of PML-Q was formed prior to 2002 general elections.... |
84 | 9 | 6 | 18 | ||
| Muttahida Qaumi Movement Muttahida Qaumi Movement Muttahida Qaumi Movement generally known as MQM, is a liberal-secular political party of Pakistan. It is generally known as a party which holds immense mobilizing potential in province of Sindh... |
0 | 51 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Awami National Party Awami National Party The Awami National Party is an Pashtun nationalist, socialist, centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International... |
0 | 2 | 48 | 4 | ||
| Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal is a coalition of Islamist parties that was formed in 2002 to electorally challenge the Pakistan Parliament's incumbent parties...
Note: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami This article is about Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan. For other organizations of similar name see Jamaat-e-Islami The Jamaat-e-Islami , is a Pro-Muslim political party in Pakistan... , Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan The Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan is a political party in Pakistan. It is part of the Islamic Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, that won at the last legislative elections, 20 October 2002, 11.3 of the popular vote and 53 out of 272 elected members.This party belongs to the Sunni current, which in... , Tehrik-e-Jafaria Pakistan and Jamiat Ahle Hadith Jamiat Ahle Hadith Jamiat Ahle Hadith is a religio-political party in Pakistan promoting the Ahle Hadees religious movement. It is part of the Islamic fundamentalist Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, that won at the last legislative elections, 20 October 2002 with 11.3 percent of the popular vote... did not participate. |
2 | 0 | 14 | 10 | ||
| Pakistan Muslim League (F) Pakistan Muslim League (F) The Pakistan Muslim League is a political party in Pakistan. It is one of the factions of the original Pakistan Muslim League. The letter 'F' in its name stands for functional. It is primarily associated with the Sindhi religious leader Pir Pagara... |
3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Pakistan Peoples Party (Sherpao) | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| Balochistan National Party (Awami) Balochistan National Party The Balochistan National Party or Balochistan National Party is a political party in Balochistan, Pakistan... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | ||
| National Peoples Party National Peoples Party The National Peoples Party is a political party in Pakistan most active in the province of Sindh and southern parts of Punjab. It was founded in 1986 by Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi after falling out with Benazir Bhutto and leaving her Pakistan Peoples Party.In the 2008 Pakistani general elections the... |
0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| National Party National Party (Pakistan) National Party is a democratic, centre-left Baloch nationalist political party. It is one of the largest Baloch nationalist parties active in the province of Balochistan, Pakistan along with Balochistan National Party... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Independents | 4 | 0 | 11 | 12 | ||
| Total general seats | 297 | 130 | 99 | 51 | ||
| Reserved Seats (Women) | 66 | 29 | 22 | 11 | ||
| Reserved Seats (Minorities) | 8 | 9 | 3 | 3 | ||
| Declared results | 370 | 166 | 124 | 65 | ||
| Total seats | 371 | 168 | 124 | 65 | ||
| Source: Election Commission of Pakistan | ||||||
By-elections
By-electionBy-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
s for 28 seats (23 provincial and 5 national) have been delayed numerous times, and are currently unscheduled. They are being contested, among others, by Nawaz Sharif
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani conservative politician and steel magnate who served as 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993, and from February 1997 to October 12, 1999...
(who initially stated he had withdrawn, but then appeared to be contesting the election nonetheless; his brother Shehbaz Sharif will also run in the by-elections) and Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party . He is also the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister....
.
The by-elections had originally planned for 3 June 2008, then postponed to 18 June 2008; a further planned postponement to 18 August 2008 due to security reasons met with large-scale opposition, leading to a rescheduling at the time to 26 June 2008. PPP announced it would not run in the by-elections which prominent leaders of the PML-N would contest. On 23 June 2008, Sharif was again banned from the election due to his earlier court conviction, leading the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Pakistan
The Supreme Court is the apex court in Pakistan's judicial hierarchy, the final arbiter of legal and constitutional disputes. The Supreme Court has a permanent seat in Islamabad. It has number of Branch Registries where cases are heard. It has a number of de jure powers which are outlined in the...
on 25 June 2008 to postpone the by-election for Sharif's seat until after appeal deliberations which begin on 30 June 2008 are concluded. By-elections for the other seats were held as planned on 26 June 2008.
59 candidates contested the five national seats, while the 282 candidates contesting the provincial seats were divided as follow:
- 171 candidates for the 12 vacancies in Punjab
- 68 candidates for the seven vacancies in the NWFP currently known as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Urdu: خیبر پختون خواہ)
- 25 candidates for the three vacancies in Balochistan
- eight candidates for the single vacancy in Sindh
Unofficial results showed that PML-N had won three national seats and PPP the other two; of the provincial seats, PML-N won eight, PPP seven, the Awami National Party
Awami National Party
The Awami National Party is an Pashtun nationalist, socialist, centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International...
two and independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
s six. Turnout was reportedly low.
Government formation
In December 2010 the MQM withdrew from the ruling coalition, including its 2 cabinet ministers Babar Ghauri, the ports and shipping minister, and Farooq Sattar, minister for overseas Pakistanis. Amongst their reasons for withdrawing were corruption, law and order and rising prices.External links
- Election Commission of Pakistan
- Jang/Geo 2008 Election Unofficial Results
- Dawn Group 2008 Election Unofficial Results
- Election 2008 News & Results
Background information
- Pakistani Elections, Angus Reid Global Monitor.
- Pakistan Election Watch, Observer Research Foundation (ORF)
- Pakistan: Emergency Rule or Return to Democracy?, International Crisis Group.