2018 Balochistan provincial election

Provincial elections were held in the Pakistani province of Balochistan on 25 July 2018.[2][3]

2018 Balochistan provincial election

25 July 2018
All 65 seats in the Provincial Assembly 33 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Turnout	45.27% (3.47pp)[1]
Leader Jam Kamal Khan Maulana Noorullah Akhtar Mengal Party BAP MMA BNP-M Leader's seat PB-45 (Lasbela-II) PB-3 (Qilla Saifullah) PB-40 (Khuzdar) Last election did not contest did not contest 2 seats, 6.19% Seats won 24 10 10 Seat change 24 10 8 Popular vote 446,795 261,742 126,854
Map of Balochistan Showing Assembly Constituencies and Winning parties
Chief Minister before election Abdul Quddus Bizenjo BAP Elected Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan BAP

Background

The 2013 elections resulted in a hung parliament, before Pakistan Muslim League (N), National Party, and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party joined hands to form a coalition government.[4] A power-sharing agreement was also brokered between PML-N and NP where the province's Chief Ministership tenure would be bifurcated between the two parties. In consequence, NP's Abdul Malik Baloch served as chief minister from 2013 to 2015 before he was replaced by PML-N's Sanaullah Khan Zehri at the end of 2015.[5][6]

However, Zehri couldn't complete his term as on 2 January 2018, a number of dissident members from the ruling PML-N colluded with opposition lawmakers to submit a no-confidence motion against him. Seeing that he has lost the majority of the house's support in the ensuing turmoil, Zehri resigned from his post before a no-confidence vote could take place.[7] Pakistan Muslim League (Q)'s, Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, an opposition lawmaker and one of the leaders of the no-confidence bloc, was elected as the province's 15th Chief Minister. He secured 41 of the 65 votes.[8][9]

This in-house change was also important in the lead-up to the 2018 Senate elections as the bloc managed to secure 6 of the 12 seats for the province, with no seat for PML-N.[10] Further down the line, the group was also successful in making an alliance with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Peoples Party for the election of the Senate chairman, leading to their combined candidate from Balochistan, Sadiq Sanjrani, being elected to the post.[11]

On 29 March 2018, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and Saeed Hashmi, with the support of Bizenjo, launched a new political party by the name of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP). It was composed of independent candidates, dissident PML-N lawmakers as well as PML-Q members [12][13]

Pre-election violence

On 13 July, a suicide bombing killed at least 131 people including BAP candidate for Balochistan Assembly, Nawabzada Siraj Raisani and over 200 injured.[14]

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats
				General	Reserved		Total	+/–
					Min.	Fem.
	Balochistan Awami Party	446,795		15	1	4	20	new party
	Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal	261,742		7	1	2	10	new party
	Balochistan National Party (Mengal)	126,854		7	1	2	10	8
	Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf	109,488		6	0	1	7	7
	Balochistan National Party (Awami)	90,942		2			2	new party
	Awami National Party	45,946		3	0	1	4	3
	Hazara Democratic Party	12,802		2			2	2
	Jamhoori Watan Party	7,915		1			1	1
	Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party	108,345		1			1	13
	Pakistan Muslim League (N)	28,922		1			1	11
	Other parties	210,317		0			0
	Independents	318,787		5			5
Postponed		–	–	1	–	–	1	–
Invalid/blank votes		7,160	–	–	–	–	–	–
Total		1,761,695	100	51	3	10	64	0
Registered voters/turnout		4,299,494		–	–	–	–	–
Source: ECP

See also

• 2018 Pakistani general election
• Punjab Provincial Election, 2018
• Sindh Provincial Election, 2018
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Election, 2018

References

1. "General Elections 2018 - Results Management System". www.ecp.gov.pk. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
2. "General polls 2018 would be held on July 25: sources". Dunya News. 22 May 2018.
3. Samaa Web Desk. "Govt to complete its term; elections to be held in July 2018: PM".
4. Zafar, Muhammad (18 May 2013). "Balochistan politics: PML-N, PkMAP, National Party to form coalition govt". The Express Tribune.
5. Shah, Syed Ali (8 June 2013). "Unopposed, Dr Abdul Malik Baloch elected CM Balochistan". Dawn.
6. "PML-N's Sanaullah Zehri elected CM Balochistan". The News International. 24 December 2015.
7. "Balochistan CM Zehri quits to avoid no-trust vote - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 9 January 2018. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
8. Shah, Syed Ali (13 January 2018). "Balochistan Assembly votes Bizenjo in as new CM". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
9. "Balochistan Assembly elects Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo as provincial chief minister". www.pakistantoday.com.pk. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
10. Khan, Iftikhar. "PML-N gains Senate control amid surprise PPP showing". Dawn.
11. Chaudhry, Fahad (2018-03-12). "PML-N defeated: Opposition candidates Sanjrani, Mandviwalla take Senate's top slots". Dawn. Retrieved 2018-03-12.
12. "Independents, PML-N dissidents launch new political party in Balochistan". www.pakistantoday.com.pk. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
13. Shah, Syed Ali (29 March 2018). "PML-N dissidents, independents launch 'Balochistan Awami Party'". Dawn.
14. Bureau, News Nation (13 July 2018). "Pakistan Bombing: 128 killed, over 200 injured in deadly attack at Mastung rally; IS claims responsibility". newsnation.in. Retrieved 14 July 2018.