You may be surprised to learn that Pakistan currently has 167 political parties enlisted with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and most of them are concentrated in a few cities.

The total number of political parties has declined from 352 in 2017, when the Elections Act, 2017, replaced the Political Parties Order, 2002, introducing new requirements for party enlistment.

Which province has the most political parties?

According to the List of Political Parties available on the ECP website, nearly half of all enlisted political parties (80, or 48 percent) have their head offices in Punjab, spread across 22 districts from northernmost Rawalpindi to southernmost Rahim Yar Khan. As many as 33 (20 percent) parties have listed an Islamabad address as their main address.

Sindh follows with 30 (18 percent) parties based in four cities, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa hosts 14 (eight percent) parties across six cities. Balochistan has 11 (six percent) parties with head offices in three cities.

Which city has the most parties?

The largest number of party headquarters, i.e., 35, are located in Lahore, the Provincial capital of Punjab, which is the country’s second most populous city with about 13 million residents.

Interestingly, the federal capital Islamabad, with a population of just around one million, is home to 33 party headquarters, almost as many as Lahore. When combined with its adjoining city, Rawalpindi, the number rises to 45, making the twin cities the country’s largest hub of political parties.

In contrast, Karachi, despite being Pakistan’s most populous city with over 20 million people, houses 24 party offices. Among other provincial capitals, Quetta hosts nine, and Peshawar only six party headquarters.

Outside the provincial capitals, Gwadar and Naseerabad districts of Balochistan each host the headquarters of one political party.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, three parties have their main offices in Abbottabad, two in Swabi, and one each in Lower Dir, Mardan, and Nowshera.

In Sindh, Hyderabad houses the main offices of four political parties, while Jacobabad and Jamshoro have one each.

Other than Lahore and Rawalpindi in Punjab, Faisalabad has six political parties’ main offices, followed by Muzaffargarh (four) and Multan (three). Dera Ghazi Khan, Khanewal, and Narowal have two each, while Bahawalpur, Chakwal, Chiniot, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Jhelum, Kasur, Layyah, Okara, Pakpattan, Rahim Yar Khan, Sahiwal, Sheikhupura, and Sialkot each host one party headquarters.

How are political parties formed?

Freedom of association is a constitutionally protected right in Pakistan. Under Article 17(2), all citizens, except for those in the service of Pakistan, are free to form and join political parties, subject to reasonable restrictions under the law.

For more on how the constitutional provisions governing political parties have evolved and which laws deal with them, see FAFEN’s Explainer on Legality of Restrictions on Political Parties. – Written by Anum Naz, FAFEN Staff Member.