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All 65 seats in the Provincial Assembly 33 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Opinion polls | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 45.27% ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Provincial elections were held in the Pakistani province of Balochistan on 25 July 2018. [2] [3] .
Balochistan is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. It is the largest province in terms of land area, forming the southwestern region of the country. Its provincial capital and largest city is Quetta.
The 2013 elections resulted in a hung parliament, before Pakistan Muslim League (N), National Party, and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party joined hands to form a coalition government. [4] A power-sharing agreement was also brokered between PML-N and NP where the province's Chief Ministership tenure would be bifurcated between the two parties. In consequence, NP's Abdul Malik Baloch served as chief minister from 2013 to 2015 before he was replaced by PML-N's Sanaullah Khan Zehri at the end of 2015. [5] [6]
A hung parliament is a term used in legislatures under the Westminster system to describe a situation in which no particular political party or pre-existing coalition has an absolute majority of legislators in a parliament or other legislature. This situation is also known, albeit less commonly, as a balanced parliament, or as a legislature under no overall control, and can result in a minority government. The term is not relevant in multi-party systems where it is rare for a single party to hold a majority.
The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) is a centre-right conservative party in Pakistan. The party was recently in power until the appointment of an interim government led by Nasirul Mulk for the previous general election. It was led by the thrice-elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, until he was disqualified for contempt of the Supreme Court in 2017. The party's platform is generally conservative, which involves supporting free market capitalism, opposing military power, supporting democratic ideals, and being generally anti-censorship on an online and wilderness platform.
National Party is a social democratic, centre-left political party. It is one of the largest parties active in the province of Balochistan, Pakistan along with Balochistan National Party. It traces its legacy from the Kalat State National Party of Mir Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo, Mir Gul Khan Nasir and Mir Abdul Aziz Kurd, and is currently headed by Abdul Malik Baloch.
However, Zehri couldn't complete his term as on 2 January 2018, a number of dissident members from the ruling PML-N colluded with opposition lawmakers to submit a no-confidence motion against him. Seeing that he has lost the majority of the house's support in the ensuing turmoil, Zehri resigned from his post before a no-confidence vote could take place. [7] Pakistan Muslim League (Q)'s, Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, an opposition lawmaker and one of the leaders of the no-confidence bloc, was elected as the province's 15th Chief Minister. He secured 41 of the 65 votes. [8] [9]
The Pakistan Muslim League Urdu: پاکستان مسلم لیگ (ق); Acronyms: PML(Q), PML-Q, PMLQ) is a centre-nationalist political party in Pakistan. As of the 2018 Parliamentary election, it has a representation of 5 seats. It previously served as an ally of former Prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf's then government, and led a joint election campaign in 2013 alongside Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Punjab and Balochistan provinces against its rival Pakistan Muslim League (N), a fiscal conservative and centre-right force.
Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo is a Pakistani politician who is the current Speaker of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan, in office since August 2018. He has been a member of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan since August 2018.
This in-house change was also important in the lead-up to the 2018 Senate elections as the bloc managed to secure 6 of the 12 seats for the province, with no seat for PML-N. [10] Further down the line, the group was also successful in making an alliance with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Peoples Party for the election of the Senate chairman, leading to their combined candidate from Balochistan, Sadiq Sanjrani, being elected to the post. [11]
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is a centrist political party in Pakistan founded in 1996 by former international cricket captain and current Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan. As a result of the 2018 general election, PTI is the governing party of Pakistan as the largest party in the National Assembly in the ruling coalition.
The Pakistan Peoples Party is a left-wing, socialist-progressive political party of Pakistan. Affiliated with the Socialist International, Its political philosophy and position, in the country's political spectrum, is considered centre-left, and involves supporting public ownership, egalitarianism, equality, and a strong national defence. Since its foundation in 1967, it had been a major and influential political left-wing force in the country and the party's leadership has been dominated by the members of the Bhutto family. Its centre of power lies in the southern province of Sindh.
On 29 March 2018, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and Saeed Hashmi, with the support of Bizenjo, launched a new political party by the name of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP). It was composed of independent candidates, dissident PML-N lawmakers as well as PML-Q members [12] [13]
Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) is a political party based in the Balochistan province of Pakistan founded in 2018 by political dissidents of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) in Balochistan.
On 13 July, a suicide bombing killed at least 131 people including BAP candidate for Balochistan Assembly, Nawabzada Siraj Raisani and over 200 injured. [14]
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Reserved | Total | +/– | |||||
| Min. | Fem. | |||||||
| Balochistan Awami Party | 446,795 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 20 | |||
| Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal | 261,742 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 10 | |||
| Balochistan National Party (Mengal) | 126,854 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 10 | |||
| Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf | 109,488 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 7 | |||
| Balochistan National Party (Awami) | 90,942 | 2 | 2 | |||||
| Awami National Party | 45,946 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |||
| Hazara Democratic Party | 12,802 | 2 | 2 | |||||
| Jamhoori Watan Party | 7,915 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party | 108,345 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Pakistan Muslim League (N) | 28,922 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Other parties | 210,317 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Independents | 318,787 | 5 | 5 | |||||
| Postponed | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | |
| Invalid/blank votes | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Total | 1,761,695 | 100 | 51 | 3 | 10 | 64 | 0 | |
| Registered voters/turnout | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| Source: ECP | ||||||||
The Balochistan National Party or Balochistan National Party (Mengal) is a political party in Balochistan, Pakistan. BNP believes in more provincial rights and greater autonomy for Baluchistan province through peaceful and democratic struggle.
Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo is a Pakistani politician who served as Minister for Maritime Affairs, in Abbasi cabinet from August 2017 to May 2018. He previously served as Minister for Maritime Affairs in the third Sharif ministry. The President of the National Party of Pakistan, Bizenjo has been an elected member of the Senate of Pakistan since 2009 and is a former member of the National Assembly of Pakistan.
Abdul Malik Baloch was the 21st Chief Minister of Balochistan, Pakistan from 7 June 2013 to 23 December 2015. He was born in Turbat District, Makran and he is a member of the Hooth tribe.
Nawab Changez (Jangayz) Khan Marri is the Nawab of the Marri Baloch people in Pakistan. He has served as Balochistan's Irrigation and Energy Minister since 15 October 2013.
Nawab Sanaullah Khan Zehri was the Chief Minister of Balochistan from 24 December 2015 to 9 December 2017. He belongs to Channal Zarakzai family and also the Nawab of the Zehri tribe and chief of Jhalawan. Zehri succeeded Abdul Malik Baloch as chief minister Balochistan, Pakistan on 24 December 2015 as part of the power sharing deal brokered in the resort town of Murree. Zehri is the central president of the Pakistan Muslim League's Balochistan branch and a confidant of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Jam Mir Kamal Khan Alyani is a Pakistani politician who is the current and 16th Chief Minister of Balochistan, in office since 19 August 2018. He has been a member of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan since August 2018.
The triennial Senate Electionsof Pakistan were held on 3 March 2018 to replace 52 retiring senators - half of the Senate's strength - with the winning candidates serving six-year terms. Overall, Pakistan Muslim League (N) came out as the largest party, followed by the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. The results of these elections were steeped in controversy due to rampant allegations of horse trading and vote-buying, which lead to the Prime Minister and opposition leader Imran Khan calling for reforms. Prior to this election, PML (N) candidates were declared as independents by the Election Commission of Pakistan owing to a Supreme Court judgment.
Syed Asif Saeed Kirmani is a Pakistani politician who has been a Member of Senate of Pakistan, since July 2017.
Rahat Jamali is a Pakistani politician who was a Member of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan, from June 2013 to May 2018.
Mir Zafarullah Khan Zehri is a Pakistani politician who was a Member of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan, from 2008 to May 2018.
Prince Ahmed Ali Ahmedzai is a Pakistani politician who was a Member of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan, from August 2013 to May 2018.
Syed Muhammad Agha Raza is a Pakistani politician who was a Member of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan, from May 2013 to May 2018.
Spozmi Achakzai is a Pakistani politician who was a Member of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan, from May 2013 to May 2018.
Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani is a Pakistani politician who is the 8th and current Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan. He took his oath of office as Member and Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan on 12 March 2018. He is the youngest and first ever Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan who hails from the province of Balochistan.
Anwar ul Haq Kakar is a Pakistani politician who has been a Member of the Senate of Pakistan, since March 2018.
Tahir Bizenjo is a Pakistani politician who has been a Member of the Senate of Pakistan, since March 2018.
