Voter turnout stood at 48.2% in Pakistan: FAFEN

The Free and Fare Election Network (FAFEN), a coalition of 50 leading civil society organisations, has published its initial assessment report of the General Election 2024.

The report stated that the voter turnout across the country stood at 48.2 percent with long queues of voters witnessed at polling stations.

"Approximately 60 million voters went to the polls in Pakistan on February 8, 2024, to elect their representatives in 265 National Assembly and 590 Provincial Assembly constituencies in one of the country’s most competitive political contests," it said.

Detailing the voter turnout province-wise, FAFEN stated that the turnout stood at 51.7 percent in Punjab, 54.2 percent in Islamabad, 43.9 percent in Sindh, 41.4 percent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 35 percent in Balochistan. 

The male turnout stood at 52.2 percent while the women turnout was 43.2 percent, FAFEN reported, adding that around 51.1 million voters exercised their right to vote. 

Transparency was largely maintained at polling stations but compromised at RO offices

The report findings point out that compared to the relative procedural transparency at polling stations, FAFEN’s observers were not as consistently permitted at the offices of ROs to observe the process of the preparation of preliminary electoral results. Of 244 National Assembly (NA) constituencies, the ROs in only about half (114 or 46.7 percent) allowed FAFEN observers to witness the result tabulation proceedings.

PML-N, PPP vote bank increased in 2024 elections

According to FAFEN's preliminary findings, PML-N and PPP saw an increase in their voter banks, whereas PTI's retained its vote bank in the elections.

"This calculation is based on the results of 235 NA constituencies. PTI-backed candidates secured 16.85 million votes compared to the party’s tally of 16.9 million votes in 2018. PML-N increased its share of votes from 12.9 million in 2018 to 13.3 million in 2024 and PPPP’s share increased from 6.9 million in 2018 to 7.6 million in 2024," said the report.

Meanwhile, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) share has gone slightly up from 2.1 million in 2018 to 2.6 million in 2024.