The Member of the National Assembly (MNA) for NA-71 Sialkot-II was elected in the 2024 General Elections despite a majority of participating voters casting their ballots for other contenders, a recent analysis has revealed. The victor ultimately secured the seat with the backing of only 21 per cent of the constituency”s total registered electorate.
Data from the Final Consolidated Result (Form-49), the winning candidate obtained 119,017 votes. This figure represented 47 per cent of the 252,190 ballots cast on February 8, 2024, in a constituency with 577,281 registered electors, according to a report by Free and Fair Election Network.
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The analysis highlights that a larger bloc of voters, totalling 126,539 or 50 per cent of those who turned out, chose alternative candidates, indicating they did not want the winner to represent them. The overall voter turnout in the constituency stood at 44 per cent.
A breakdown of the results shows the runner-up candidate secured a substantial 40 per cent of the ballots cast, while the third-placed contender received five per cent. The remaining candidates collectively garnered six per cent of the vote. Furthermore, 6,634 ballots, equivalent to three per cent of the total, were declared invalid and did not contribute to any candidate”s tally.
This information is part of a constituency-wise report by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) examining the unrepresentativeness of Pakistan’s electoral outcomes.
The FAFEN series suggests that the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system can skew representation, particularly in Pakistan”s common multi-candidate contests. It notes that in such races, a majority of voters may feel their choice is unrepresented, which can raise questions about legitimacy and potentially contribute to political instability.