In GE-2024, the elected Member of the National Assembly (MNA) from NA-162 Bahawalnagar-III secured 114,379 votes — 42% of the 272,707 ballots cast, and only 23% of the 487,317 registered voters in the constituency. Under Pakistan’s First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) electoral system, a candidate needs only the highest vote share to win a seat — not a majority.
According to the Final Consolidated Result (Form-49) of the constituency, the voter turnout stood at 56%. Despite the victory, the winner did not have the support of the majority of voters who exercised their right to vote on 8 February 2024, as 153,152, or 56% voted for other candidates.
The runner-up candidate secured 36% of the ballots cast; the third-placed candidate received 9%, while the remaining candidates collectively secured 11% of votes cast. A total of 5,176, or 2%, were declared invalid.
This story is part of FAFEN’s constituency-wise analysis of electoral representativeness across Pakistan’s 266 National Assembly constituencies. Under Pakistan’s First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) electoral system, the candidate with the highest vote total wins the seat regardless of whether they command a majority of votes cast. FAFEN’s data document that this produces elected members who, in many constituencies, do not carry majority support. Under a proportional representation (PR) system, by contrast, legislative seats are allocated in proportion to the vote shares won by parties or candidates — ensuring that a broader range of voter preferences is reflected in elected bodies. Pakistan’s GE-2024 data show the documented gap between votes cast and representation secured across all 266 National Assembly constituencies.
FAFEN’s full constituency-by-constituency series is available at the link below.
Explore more stories from the series here.
