Karachi: In the recent General Elections of 2024, the elected Member of the National Assembly (MNA) from NA-242 Karachi Keamari-I managed to secure a seat with only 16% support from the registered voters in the constituency. The election results underscore the limitations of Pakistan's First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) electoral system, which does not require a candidate to obtain a majority of votes to win.

According to Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), the MNA received 71,527 votes, which accounted for 37% of the 191,288 ballots cast in the election. However, this number represents just 16% of the total 437,790 registered voters within the constituency. The voter turnout for the election was reported at 44%, with 117,308 voters, or 61% of those who participated, choosing other candidates.

The final election results showed that the runner-up candidate garnered 28% of the votes cast, while the third-placed candidate received 9%. The remaining candidates collectively obtained 24% of the votes, and 2,453 ballots, or 1%, were declared invalid.

This story is part of FAFEN's broader analysis of electoral representation across Pakistan's 266 National Assembly constituencies. The data presented by FAFEN highlight a significant issue with the FPTP system, where elected officials often do not have the majority support of the electorate. In contrast, a proportional representation system would allocate seats based on the percentage of votes received, ensuring a more representative outcome. The GE-2024 results illustrate the disparity between votes cast and representation achieved across the constituencies.