2018 Punjab provincial election

Provincial elections were held in Punjab, Pakistan on 25 July 2018 to elect the members of the 17th Provincial Assembly of the Punjab.[2][3] After the elections, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was able to form the government in Punjab, with Sardar Usman Buzdar as the Chief Minister of Punjab.[4]

2018 Punjab provincial election

25 July 2018
All 371 seats in the Provincial Assembly 186 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Turnout	59.2%(0.68%)[1]
Leader Usman Ahmad Khan Buzdar Hamza Shahbaz Sharif Party PTI PML(N) Leader's seat Dera Ghazi Khan-II Lahore-XXIII Last election 30 seats, 17.76% 313 seats, 40.77% Seats won 183 167 Seat change 153 146 Popular vote 11,141,139 10,516,446 Percentage 33.65% 31.76% Swing 15.89pp 9.02pp
Chief Minister before election Shehbaz Sharif PML(N) Elected Chief Minister Usman Ahmad Khan Buzdar PTI

Background

In the 2013 elections, the Pakistan Muslim League (N) came out with well above a supermajority in the assembly with a landslide haul of 313 seats, and were comfortably able to form a government. They were followed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which held only 30 seats.

The election was notable for the downfall of the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (Q), which, before the elections, held 106 and 79 seats respectively but were reduced to merely 8 seats each, due to the rise of PTI and PML (N), although the sheer numbers that the PML (N) held in the assembly shocked many analysts.[5]

Shehbaz Sharif, brother of PML (N) chairman and two-time Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, became Chief Minister for the third time in his life, securing over 300 votes in the assembly.[6]

Janoobi Punjab Sooba Mahaz

On April 10, 2018, 10 of the ruling PML-N's prominent elected candidates from South Punjab, parted ways from the party and announced a movement for the creation of South Punjab province.[7] The movement was titled Janoobi Punjab Sooba Mahaz (lit. Front for South Punjab Province). In the coming weeks, the movement garnered widespread support and dissident MPs from the ruling coalition, as well as independents, started joining it.[8] At its peak, the movement had the backing of 42 MPs.[9] On May 8, 2018, the movement announced its merger with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the opposition party in the province, after PTI assured JPSM's leaders that creating the South Punjab province is a priority item in their manifesto for the 2018 elections.[10]

Results

PTI has 183 members in the assembly, PML-Q 10, PML-N 167 and PPP 7. Pakistan Rah-e-Haq party has one member while three independent members are present in house. Election results from three constituencies are pending while it has been halted from other three. Seven seats of Punjab Assembly were vacated after the member chose to take oath from National Assembly seat.[11]

Party		Votes	%	Seats				Change
				General	Women	Non-Muslims	Total
	Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf	11,141,139	33.65	146	33	4	183	153
	Pakistan Muslim League (N)	10,516,446	31.76	133	30	4	167	146
	Pakistan Muslim League (Q)	391,451	1.18	8	2		10	2
	Pakistan Peoples Party	1,784,513	5.39	6	1		7	1
	Pakistan Rah-e-Haq Party	94,053	0.28	1			1	1
	Independents	6,186,779	18.69	3				8
Total		33,108,563	100	297	66	8	371	0
Source:

the results showed a massive victory for Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf party and the downfall of Pakistan Muslim league (N). Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf was 3 seats short of majority. Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf and Pakistan Muslim league (Q) formed a coalition government in Punjab assembly.

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. Yasif, Rana (19 August 2018). "PTI's Usman Buzdar becomes new Punjab chief minister". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
5. From the Newspaper. "The election score". Dawn News.
6. Web Desk. "Shahbaz Sharif takes oath as Punjab chief minister". The Express Tribune.
7. "10 PML-N MPs ditch their party". The News International. 10 April 2018.
8. Khan, Zahid (18 April 2018). "40 PML-N's lawmakers ready to join Janoobi Punjab Sooba Mahaz: Cheema". Samaa TV.
9. Iqbal, Aamir (26 April 2018). "PML-N loses 4 more lawmakers to Junoobi Punjab Sooba Mahaz". Samaa TV.
10. "PTI absorbs Junoobi Punjab Suba Mahaz after promising new province in south Punjab". Dawn. 9 May 2018.
11. "Final Results".