1985 Pakistani general election
General elections were held in Pakistan on 28 February 1985.[1] Around 1,300 candidates contested the election, which were held on a non-party basis.[2] Voter turnout was 52.93%.[1] Each candidate was required to have their nomination paper signed by 50 registered voters from the constituency they wished to stand in.[3]
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All 237 seats in National Assembly 119 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||
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Winning party by constituency | |||||||||||||||||||
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This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Pakistan |
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In an attempt to disqualify a large number of opposition candidates, and secure a conservative leadership, President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq introduced amendments to the Political Parties Act of 1962. As a result, the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD), which was calling for the end of the military regime and opposition parties boycotted the elections.[4]
Results
Party | Votes | % | Seats |
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Independents | 100 | 207 | |
Seats reserved for women | – | – | 21 |
Seats reserved for non-Muslim minorities | – | – | 9 |
Invalid/blank votes | – | – | |
Total | 17,250,482 | 100 | 237 |
Registered voters/turnout | 32,589,996 | 52.93 | – |
Source: IPU |
Aftermath
Following the elections, Muhammad Khan Junejo was appointed Prime Minister and later formed a new party, the Pakistan Muslim League. The election boycott was viewed to have been a misstep for the MRD, which had assumed the public would support its stance.[4]
References
- Pakistan Inter-Parliamentary Union
- Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I, p678 ISBN 0-19-924958-X
- Report on the General Elections, 1985, Election Commission of Pakistan, 1986, p300
- General Elections, February 1985 Story of Pakistan