In the General Election 2024, independent candidates have emerged as frontrunners, maintaining a significant lead over mainstream political parties, according to the latest results issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by 9:00 p.m.
Independent candidates secured a total of 89 seats in the National Assembly, outperforming Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 60 seats, Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) with 50 seats, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) with two seats, Istehqam-e-Pakistan Party (IPPP) with two seats, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan with 11 seats, and Grand Democratic Alliance with one seat.
In the provincial assemblies, independent candidates continued their dominance. In Punjab, out of 270 assembly seats, independents secured 130 seats, closely followed by PML-N with 129 seats, PPPP with 10 seats, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan and IPP with one seat each, and PML-Q with five seats.
For the Sindh Assembly, PPPP secured 83 seats, followed by independent candidates with 14 seats, MQM-P with 21 seats, GDA with two seats, and Jamaat-e-Islami with two seats, out of the total 122 constituencies’ results announced.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, independent candidates clinched 85 provincial assembly seats, surpassing PML-N with 5 seats, PPPP with 3 seats, JUI with 7 seats, JI with 3 seats, and ANP and PTIP with one seat each, out of 105 seats.
Balochistan witnessed a diverse distribution of seats, with PML-N and PPPP securing eight seats each, JUI with six seats, independent candidates with four seats, JI with one seat, ANP with two seats, BAP with four seats, and Balochistan National Party-Awami and National Party with one seat each, as per the results announced for 35 seats so far.
The General Election 2024 concluded peacefully, with polling held simultaneously across the country from 8 am to 5 pm. Over 128 million registered voters exercised their democratic right to vote for candidates competing for 265 seats in the National Assembly and 590 seats in provincial assemblies.
ECP ensured elaborate arrangements in collaboration with security departments and other state institutions to conduct the election in a free, fair, transparent, and peaceful manner.
The elections marked the 5th consecutive transfer of power between democratic setups since the beginning of the 21st century (2002-2024), showcasing the nation’s unwavering commitment to democracy and its values. The active participation of citizens reflected the smooth and peaceful conduct of the polls, with no major incidents reported throughout the country on election day.
