Attock: In the recent General Elections of 2024, the Member of the National Assembly (MNA) for the NA-50 Attock-II constituency secured the seat with only 17 percent of the registered voters’ support. The elected MNA garnered 118,288 votes, representing 28 percent of the 425,267 ballots cast, yet only 17 percent of the 708,151 registered voters.
The Final Consolidated Result (Form-49) revealed a voter turnout of 60 percent. Despite the victory, the MNA did not capture the majority of the voters’ support who participated on February 8, 2024. A notable 297,135 voters, or 70 percent, chose other candidates, indicating a lack of broad support for the winner.
The runner-up in the election received 26 percent of the ballots, followed by a third candidate with 22 percent. The remaining candidates collectively captured 23 percent of the votes. Additionally, 9,844 ballots, accounting for two percent of the total, were deemed invalid.
This analysis forms part of the Free and Fair Election Network’s scrutiny of electoral outcomes in Pakistan, highlighting the potential representational challenges posed by the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system. The system can lead to scenarios where a majority of voters feel unrepresented, raising concerns about electoral legitimacy and political stability.
For more insights and regional analyses, visit the FAFEN website.