PTI as second largest party after polls...PTI the second largest party with over 7.68 million votes against 6.91 of PPP

ISLAMABAD: Nearly 19 million more voters used their right to vote on May 11 compared to 2008 polls, hiking the turnout to 55 % from 44 %, throwing the new PTI as the second largest political party with over 7.68

million votes as against 6.91 of PPP and 14.9 million votes of the winner PML-N. The just-released statistics of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) shows that a total of 46,217,382 voters cast their ballots compared to 35,637,072 electorates in the contest for the National Assembly seats in the 2008 elections.

This time, there were a total of 86,189,802 registered voters as against 80,796,382 of 2008. While the previous electoral rolls contained millions of bogus entries, the new lists were purged of all fake votes, and that is why these were universally accepted by all the political parties. 

In Punjab that saw an unprecedented turnout, a total of 28,760,265 voters reached the polling stations compared to 21,442,088 in 2008.In Sindh, as many as 9,782,599 electorates cast their ballots as against 8,612,331 last time

In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), a total of 5,476,001 voters exercised their right compared to 3,576,523 electorates in 2008.In Balochistan, as many as 1,300,628 electorates went to the polling stations as against 1,367,001 last time.

In the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fatas), 508,013 votes came out of their houses to elect MPs while they were 397,593 in 2008.Similarly in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), as many as 389,976 voters cast their ballots as against 241,531 in 2008.

The voters in the violence-hit KP, Balochistan and Fatas shunned their fears of being hit by terrorists’ strikes and spoke in an extraordinary manner.The KP saw 45 % turnout, Balochistan 43 % and Fata 36 % (lowest among all the areas of Pakistan) compared to 34 %, 31 % and 31 % respectively.

The ICT, which stood first in the turnout percentage, recorded 62 % voters’ participation as against 50 % of 2008.The Punjab province, which was the real battleground and which witnessed a massive election campaign especially by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), registered exceptional voter turnout. It was now 60 % compared to 50 % in 2008.

The Sindh province, which was impressively clinched by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), showed 54 % voter participation as against 44 % of 2008.

As per the ECP data, the PML-N stood first by securing a total of 14,874,104 votes from all over Pakistan with Punjab contributing 11,365,363, Sindh 592,954, KP 858,135 and Balochistan 134,758.

The PTI, which contested the first-ever general elections in the real sense, bagged as many as 7,679,954 ballots, clinching the second position among the highest vote getters. It pocketed 24,030 votes from Balochistan, 1,039,719 from KP, 4,951,216 from Punjab and 607,383 from Sindh.

The PPP, which used to be the most popular political party in successive elections, occupying first or second slot in terms of popular votes, got a rare third position this time by collecting 6,911,218 votes. The fourth berth was captured by thousands of independents by getting 58,806,658 votes.

The MQM got the fifth slot by securing a total of 2,456,153 votes. Of them, the bulk, 2,510,853 came from Sindh, especially Karachi and Hyderabad. In Balochistan, it could manage just 1,927 votes from Balochistan, 7,903 from KP and 51,374 from Punjab.

The next position was bagged by Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat Ulemae Islam (JUI), which collected a total of 1,461,371 votes—207,167 from Balochistan, 733,777 from KP, 153,398 from Punjab and 105,799 from Sindh.

The PML-Q secured seventh position by pocketing as many as 1,409,905 votes—53,305 from Balochistan, 5,991 from KP, 1,377,130 from Punjab, and 64,718 from Sindh. It could win only two National Assembly seats.

The following slot went to the PML-Functional, which got a total of 1,072,846 ballots—760 from Balochistan, nothing from KP, 13,965 from Punjab, and 1,138,400 from Sindh.The Jamaat-e-Islami got the ninth position by securing 963,909 votes—3,627 from Balochistan, 404,895 from KP, 489,772 from Punjab, and 131,141 from Sindh.

The Awami National Party, which ruled the KP for five years in coalition with its allies and demonstrated an extremely dismal performance in the May 11 elections, occupied the tenth position. It got 31,122 ballots in Balochistan, 556,525 in KP, 1,776 in Punjab, and 23,722 Sindh.The Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party bagged a total of 214,631 votes—167,900 in Balochistan, 8,401 in KP, 847 in Punjab, and 2,115 in Sindh.

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