Pakistani general election, 1988
Encyclopedia
General elections were held in Pakistan
on 16 November 1988 to elect the National Assembly of Pakistan
. The result was a victory for the Pakistan People's Party, which won 94 of the 207 seats. Voter turnout was 43.5%.
) was set by the President on 20 July 1988. Moreover it was also announced that the elections would be held on a non-party basis.
However, following the accidental death of President Zia on 17 August, the Supreme Court of Pakistan
on 2 October, reversed the ban on parties and allowed the elections to be held on a party basis.
and the conservative Islamic Democratic Alliance (IJI), headed by Nawaz Sharif
, as well as a huge number of other groups, fielded around 1,370 candidates for the 217 popularly-chosen seats of the assembly. The campaign lasted for a month and remained generally peaceful.
invited the PPP to form a government. The PPP formed the Government making alliances with small parties and independent groups. On 4 December 1988, Benazir Bhutto was elected as the first female Prime Minister of a Muslim country. The new Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister was subsequently announced.
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
on 16 November 1988 to elect the National Assembly of Pakistan
National Assembly of Pakistan
The National Assembly of Pakistan is the lower house of the bicameral Majlis-e-Shura, which also compromises the President of Pakistan and Senate . The National Assembly and the Senate both convene at Parliament House in Islamabad...
. The result was a victory for the Pakistan People's Party, which won 94 of the 207 seats. Voter turnout was 43.5%.
Background
On 29 May 1988, the National Assembly which was elected in 1985 was dissolved prematurely by President Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq dismissing the Prime Minister and the rest of his cabinet asserting that the 'administration was corrupt and inefficient'. The new polling date (exceeding the limit of 90 days following dissolution laid down by the Constitution of PakistanConstitution of Pakistan
The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is the supreme law of Pakistan. Known as the Constitution of 1973, it was drafted by the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and, following additions by the opposition parties, was approved by the legislative assembly on April 10, 1973...
) was set by the President on 20 July 1988. Moreover it was also announced that the elections would be held on a non-party basis.
However, following the accidental death of President Zia on 17 August, the Supreme Court of Pakistan
Supreme Court of Pakistan
The Supreme Court is the apex court in Pakistan's judicial hierarchy, the final arbiter of legal and constitutional disputes. The Supreme Court has a permanent seat in Islamabad. It has number of Branch Registries where cases are heard. It has a number of de jure powers which are outlined in the...
on 2 October, reversed the ban on parties and allowed the elections to be held on a party basis.
Parties
The Pakistan People's Party (PPP), led by Benazir BhuttoBenazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
and the conservative Islamic Democratic Alliance (IJI), headed by Nawaz Sharif
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani conservative politician and steel magnate who served as 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993, and from February 1997 to October 12, 1999...
, as well as a huge number of other groups, fielded around 1,370 candidates for the 217 popularly-chosen seats of the assembly. The campaign lasted for a month and remained generally peaceful.
Results
| Party | Votes | % | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan People's Party | 7,546,561 | 38.5 | 94 |
| Islami Jamhoori Ittehad Islami Jamhoori Ittehad Islami Jamhoori Ittehad or Islamic Democratic Alliance was formed in September 1988 to oppose the Pakistan Peoples Party in elections that year... |
5,908,741 | 30.2 | 56 |
| Pakistan Awami Ittehad | 848,119 | 4.2 | 3 |
| Awami National Party Awami National Party The Awami National Party is an Pashtun nationalist, socialist, centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International... |
409,555 | 2.1 | 2 |
| Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam is a political party in Pakistan. It formed a combined government in national elections in 2002 and 2008... (Fazl-ur-Rehman) |
360,526 | 1.8 | 7 |
| Punjabi Pakhtun Ittehad Punjabi Pakhtun Ittehad The Punjabi Pakhtun Ittehad is a political party in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It began as a movement to represent the rights of Punjabis and Pakhtuns living in Karachi and other urban areas of Sindh.... |
105,061 | 0.5 | 0 |
| Pakistan National Party | 104,442 | 0.5 | 0 |
| National Peoples Party National Peoples Party The National Peoples Party is a political party in Pakistan most active in the province of Sindh and southern parts of Punjab. It was founded in 1986 by Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi after falling out with Benazir Bhutto and leaving her Pakistan Peoples Party.In the 2008 Pakistani general elections the... (Khar) |
97,363 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Pakistan Democratic Party Pakistan Democratic Party The Pakistan Democratic Party is a political party in Pakistan.At the last legislative elections, 20 October 2002, the party won 0.3% of the popular vote and 1 out of 272 elected members.... |
80,743 | 0.4 | 1 |
| Balochistan National Alliance | 59,248 | 0.3 | 2 |
| Pakistan Muslim League (MQ) | 55,052 | 0.3 | 0 |
| Pakistan Milli Awai Ittehad | 46,562 | 0.2 | 0 |
| Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam is a political party in Pakistan. It formed a combined government in national elections in 2002 and 2008... (Darkhasti) |
44,964 | 0.2 | 1 |
| Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Fiqua-e-Jaffria | 42,261 | 0.2 | 0 |
| 15 other parties | 51,656 | 0.3 | 0 |
| Independents | 3,829,705 | 19.5 | 40 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 313,926 | ||
| Total | 19,904,440 | 100 | 207 |
| Source: Nohlen et al | |||
Aftermath
In light of these results, the acting President Ghulam Ishaq KhanGhulam Ishaq Khan
Ghulam Ishaq Khan , abbreviated as GIK, was the seventh President of Pakistan from August 17, 1988 until July 18, 1993 and a career statesman from the start to the end of cold war...
invited the PPP to form a government. The PPP formed the Government making alliances with small parties and independent groups. On 4 December 1988, Benazir Bhutto was elected as the first female Prime Minister of a Muslim country. The new Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister was subsequently announced.