Bannu: During the 2024 General Elections, the Member of the National Assembly (MNA) from NA-39 Bannu was elected with 146,667 votes, representing 51 percent of the 285,505 ballots cast. This, however, translated to only 20 percent of the 723,459 registered voters in the constituency, highlighting a significant gap in voter support.
According to the Final Consolidated Result (Form-49) of the constituency, voter turnout stood at 39 percent. Notably, NA-39 was among 70 out of 266 National Assembly constituencies where the winner secured 50 percent or more of the polled votes. Despite this, 131,591 voters, or 46 percent, did not support the winner. The share of the winner among total registered voters remained at a mere 20 percent.
The runner-up candidate garnered 39 percent of the ballots cast. The third-placed candidate received 2 percent, while the remaining candidates collectively secured 5 percent of the votes. Additionally, 7,247 ballots, or 3 percent of the total, were declared invalid.
This analysis is part of the Free and Fair Election Network’s (FAFEN) series on the unrepresentativeness of Pakistan’s electoral outcomes. The series underscores how the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system can skew representation in Pakistan’s multi-candidate electoral contests, where three or more contenders are common. Such dynamics may lead to a majority of voters feeling unrepresented, raising questions about electoral legitimacy and potentially contributing to political instability.