Following Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) unexpectedly strong performance in the 2018 elections, it is necessary to analyse how the country’s political landscape may be evolving.
Voter turnout was slightly lower than 2013. According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) 51.85 percent of the electorate came out to vote on July 25. Where as in the 2013 general elections this figure stood at 55 percent. This happened even though Election Act 2017 brought numerous women to the polling stations for the first time in history. It is possible that more people chose to stay home this year because of threats of terrorism.
Coming back to the electoral landscape, it goes without saying that the PTI has significantly increased its political footprint. In the National Assembly (NA), the PTI has secured over 115 seats, compared to 35 in 2013. The party has also become a potent force in Punjab as it has secured 123 provincial seats compared to just 24 in 2013.
However, this does not mean the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is history just yet. Though the party has secured only 64 NA seats compared to 166 in 2013, it has still managed to secure 127 seats in the Punjab Assembly. Regardless, it seems PML-N finally has a rival in Punjab. We will find out in the coming years if the PML-N’s history of infrastructure development can stop the PTI from gaining a stronger grip on the province.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the PTI has completely routed both the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA).This is the first time in history the people of KP have elected the same party twice in a row, meaning PTI is now the dominant political force in the province.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is still a force to be reckoned with in Sindh, but has not fared as well as the previous elections. The PTI has also managed to secure 21 more seats in the province than in 2013. Furthermore, Bilawal Bhutto’s defeat in Lyari shows that old PPP strongholds may not remain that way for longer, which should not come as a surprise. Most of the voters in these elections were likely too young to remember Benazir Bhutto and weren’t even born when ZA Bhutto first founded the party. This is not too good for a party that invokes the sacrifices of the Bhutto family. *
Published in Daily Times, July 28th 2018.
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