2013 Pakistani general election

← 2008 11 May 2013 2018 →
All 342 seats in theNational Assembly 172 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	55.02%[1] ( 10.68pp)
First party Second party Third party   Leader Nawaz Sharif Asif Ali Zardari Imran Khan Party PML(N) PPP PTI Last election 89 seats 118 seats Boycotted Seats won 166 42 35 Seat change 77 76 New Popular vote 14,874,104 6,911,218 7,679,954 Percentage 32.77% 15.23% 16.92% Swing 13.12pp[2] 15.47pp[2] New
Results by constituency
Prime Minister before election Raja Pervez Ashraf PPP SubsequentPrime Minister Nawaz Sharif PML(N)

General elections were held inPakistan on Saturday 11 May 2013 to elect the members of the14thNational Assembly and the fourProvincial Assemblies. The three major parties were thePakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) led byNawaz Sharif, thePakistan People's Party (PPP) led byPresidentAsif Ali Zardari and thePakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led byImran Khan. Prior to the elections, the ruling PPP formed an alliance with thePakistan Muslim League (Q) andAwami National Party, while the main opposition party, the PML-N allied with thePakistan Muslim League (F) and Baloch parties. The PTI led by cricketer-turned-politicianImran Khan, also emerged as a key-player.

The result was a hung parliament,^[3] with the PML-N receiving the most votes and winning the most seats, but falling six seats short of a majority.^[4] However, following the elections, 19 independent MPs joined the PML-N, allowing it to form a government alone withNawaz Sharif asnewPrime Minister.^[5]

In the provincial elections, the PPP was able to defend its majority inSindh. The PTI won the most seats inKhyber Pakhtunkhwa, the first time it had gained control of a province. The PML-N emerged as the largest party inPunjab andBalochistan.^[6][7][8][9]

The elections were the first civilian transfer of power following the successful completion of a five-year term by a democratically elected government.^[10]

According to theconstitution general elections are to be held at aninterval of five years or whenever parliament is dissolved by thePresident.^[11] Upon dissolution of theNational Assembly (alower house of theParliament), the elections are to be held within a period of sixty days immediately under acaretaker set–up.^[12] Theprevious elections were held in February 2008 and its term naturally expired in February 2013.

In mid-January 2013,Sufi cleric andpolitician Dr.Tahir-ul-Qadri led aLong March fromLahore toIslamabad, which is over 350 km, demanding theelectoral reforms, the quick dissolution of theNational Assembly and a precise date for the election. The march attracted about ~50,000 participants from across Pakistan and ended peacefully. However, this appeared to have little impact on thePPP government who continued on as per normal, and were seemingly following their plan as to when to announce elections. Theanti-corruption activism led byImran Khan gathered momentum and political interests.^[13]

In the run up to the elections, aUS Congressional report provided a brief overview of thePPP government between 2008 and 2013. The annual report included the input of16 US intelligence agencies, including theCIA, which pointed the policies and performances of thePPP government during their five-year term. The report wanted that "Economically, trouble looms. Pakistan, with its smalltax base, poor system of tax collection, and reliance onforeign aid, faces no real prospects for sustainable economic growth. The government has been unwilling to addresseconomic problems that continue to constrain economic growth. ThePPP government has made no real effort to persuade its disparate coalition members to accept much-needed monetary policy and tax reforms, because members are simply focused on retaining their seats in the upcoming elections."^[14]

With assistance from theInternational Foundation for Electoral Systems, theElection Commission of Pakistan (ECP)announced the printing of computerised electoral rolls, the first of its kind database which resulted in the elimination of 35 million bogus voters off the list.^[15]

• 1 August 2012: The Election Commission of Pakistan announces 2013 general elections would be held on the basis of same old constituencies.^[16]
• December 2012: TheSupreme Court of Pakistan orders delimitation of constituencies and door-to-door verification of voters with the help ofPakistan Army inKarachi.^{[citation needed]}
• 17 January 2013: TheElection Commission of Pakistan (ECP) starts door-to-door verification of voters list.^[17]
• 3 February 2013: PresidentAsif Ali Zardari stated he would announce the election date between 8 and 14 March 2013.^[18]
• 31 March 2013: Last date to submit the candidates' papers.

Following the recommendations in Article 224 (Clauses 1A-1B) of theconstitution of Pakistan, there arose a need to form acaretaker government to operate in the interim period between the normal dissolution of parliament, facilitating the election process, until a new government was formed after the election results were known.^[19] To this effect, prime ministerPervez Ashraf wrote a letter to theopposition leaderNisar Ali Khan, requesting him to propose names of persons for appointment as thecaretaker prime minister.

ThePakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N),Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JI),Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) andJamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) all agreed on the name of retiredsenior justiceNasir Aslam Zahid as the caretaker PM until the elections take place.^[20] After a failure to achieve a consensus between the PPP government and the opposition, the matter was forwarded to a parliamentary committee of four members from both the government and the opposition.^[21]

Under the provision of Article 224-A (Clause 3) of the constitution,^[22] the Election Commission announced the appointment of retiredFederal Shariat Courtchief justiceMir Hazar Khan Khoso on 24 March 2013 in a press conference held bychief election commissionerFakhruddin G Ebrahim.^[23][24] Consequently, Khoso was sworn into office as the caretaker prime minister on 25 March 2013,^[25] while hiscaretaker federal cabinet was sworn into office on 2 April 2013.^[26]

Following is the final list of registered voters in each district of Pakistan who are eligible to cast their vote.^[27]

• The total number of registered voters for the election were 76,194,802.
• The province of Punjab had the highest number of registered voters.
• In cities,five districts of Karachi which form the city ofKarachi had a total of 7,171,237 registered voters; more than total voters of the province of Balochistan and more than any othercity or district in Pakistan.
• In Balochistan, due to sparse population, some National Assembly seats were shared by two or three districts.

Party leader		Most recent position of party leader	Seats won	Popular vote	Status after election
Nawaz Sharif		Prime Minister of Pakistan (November 1990 to July 1993, February 1997 to October 1999)	125	14,794,188	In Government
Asif Ali Zardari		11thPresident of Pakistan (2008–2013)	31	6,822,958	In Opposition
Imran Khan		Chairman ofPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (1995–2023)	27	7,563,504	In Opposition

With the announcement of the care-taker government, campaigning from parties—including thePPP,PML (N) andPTI—started as early as 27 March, six weeks ahead of the 11 May election date.^[28] Observers noted that different parties stressed on different interest groups – PTI on the disaffected youth, PML-N on the centre-right constituency, PPP on liberal classes and rural Sindhis, and MQM on Karachi-based muhajirs. Power shortages were another issue in the election campaign.^[29]

Founded in 1968, thePakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is a centre-left andleft oriented party, with a mainstream agenda of promotingsocialist economics andsocial justice. The PPP announced thatZardari would be its candidate for the nextPrime Minister, though Bilawal Zardari was still too young to become prime minister. Article 62 of theConstitution clearly states that the Prime Minister must be a person who is "not less than twenty-five years of age and is enrolled as a voter in any electoral roll for election to the seat".^[30] Zardari was not 25 until September 2013.^[31] On 5 May 2013, it was revealed that Zardari had left Pakistan for Dubai and would not be present at all on election day. He unexpectedly left the country and would not be addressing any party rallies or meetings. The PPP also announced that he would not return until after the elections are over.^[32]

The PPP's campaign was led byAmin Fahim, accompanied by notable leftist activists such asTaj Haider,Aitzaz Ahsan,Raza Rabbani, andYousaf Gillani.^[33] The PPP ran two different political programmes during the election campaign: "Massawat" (lit.Egalitarianism) and "People's Employment Programme" for the youth voters, and also its vintage "Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (lit. Bread, Cloth, House) slogan.^[34] The PPP highlighted its implementation of thenationalization andwelfare programs that were launched in 2008.^[34] In addition, the PPP greatly supported awareness of industrial andlabor rights, importance ofhigher education in the country, promotion ofsocial economics,a foreign policy of building relations with Russia and Eastern Europe,counterterrorism legislation,efforts to reduce gas shortages in the country.^[35][36] Generally, the PPP's main focused was on gathering its support fromSindh.^[2] In a critical editorial in theEnglish-language newspaper,The Nation, the PPP neglected to highlight the prevailing issue ofenergy conservation to reduce the repeated cycle ofloadshedding in the country.^[36]

Soon after the PM's last address on 16 March 2013, TV carried live broadcasts from the streets ofLahore andKarachi, where the public mood was one of anger over corruption, the bad economy, and faulty public services. The reaction of political analysts was mixed, with many holding massive corruption and nepotism as the reasons for the government's perceived failures. Even in his televised address, while trumpeting the occasion, PM Raja P Ashraf quietly conceded that his government had also been a source of disappointment for many. Public resentment had been fed by an endless list of problems: enduring power shortages [up to 18 hours a day at the peak of summer]; the failure to curb terrorist attacks, protect religious minorities and formulate a coherent anti-terrorism strategy; slow and weak response to the floods; sluggish economic growth, a bloated public sector, cresting inflation; and tales of legendary corruption, carving out private fortunes from a treasury to which they scandalously paid little in tax. Many Pakistanis, particularly among the urban middle classes, were looking to the next elections with relief.^[37]

InKarachi and other parts of the country, the PPP also maintained aNew Left alliance with theANP,MQM, andCommunist Party against the conservative parties in Sindh.^[38]

ThePakistan Muslim League, a centre-rightconservative party, began its campaign on terminating theenergy conservation crises, and also issues involvingnational security,economic development,higher education,immigration, andtaxation reforms.^[39] The campaign was led byNawaz Sharif, who emphasis the success of theprivatisation to alleviate youth employment and small businesses, introducing policies for theenvironmental preservation, buildingmotorways,counterterrorism legislation,economic liberalisation, improvement of thepublic transportation in all over the country, and then the decision of authorising thenuclear-testing programme in 1998.^[40] Over several days, Sharif delivered speeches and visited in all over the country for the support, promising that: "Just like thenuclear blasts, conducted in our last tenure, made us anatomic power, aneconomic explosion in our next term will turn the country into a commercial powerhouse."^[41][42] Furthermore, thePML(N) indicated to bring a balance oncivil-military relations with themilitary, through opening a source of political channel to resolve issues.^[43]

ThePML(N) ran a political programme which was termed as "Ilmi aur Maashi Dhamaka" (lit.Education andEconomic boom) at the public circles, and gained a lot of public support from all over thePunjab, and the financial support from thebusiness community inKarachi, which proved to be a crucial factor inPML(N)'s efforts to gainmajority in the elections.^[44] After delivering a victory speech in May 2013, Nawaz Sharif becamePrime Minister for a third term on 5 June 2013 after receiving vote of confidence in theParliament. He received 244 votes in the 342-seat parliament.^[45] ThePML(N) was generally supported byPML(F) against thePPP inSindh andBNP inBalochistan, also against thePPP.^[46] Terming it as "EEE programme" forEducation,Energy,Economy, the PML(N) popularise its slogan "Stronger Economy–Strong Pakistan", which was released in 2012.^[47]

Addressing to the national vianews channels representatives, thePML(N) debated that aside from balancing theenergy conservation, endingstagflation as well inflation, and resolving the issues relating tocounter-terrorism andnational security, its quick economic recovery programmes is also aimed to increase the expenditure on education, health, food security, and "non-pension"social security from the annualGDP by 2018, as part of the policy measurement programmes.^[48]

ThePakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is acentrist,welfarist, andnationalist political party a mainstream political programme of supporting the "Third Way" and "welfarism".^[49]

In the midst of election campaign, thePTI's chairman,Imran Khan, called for an inter-party elections for the leadership of thePTI. Many renowned individuals were defeated in the intra-party elections, such asArif Alvi who was replaced byPervez Khattak assecretary-general andEjaz Chaudhary who defeated Ahsan Rasheed.Imran informed the media that no-one from his party will be eligible to hold the post of the party chairman for more than two terms. Motives behind this inter-party elections were to will ultimately finish off the "dynasty-type, family limited companies politics" from the country, asImran Khan maintained.^[50]

ThePTI rigorously campaigned on social awareness, social reforms,telecommunication, and the expansion of thee-government in all over the country.^[13] Other main points ofPTI's campaign was to end therole of country in thewar on terrorism and to regulate private schools' fees structure with the quality of education they provide.^[13] ThePTI targeted theleft-wing policies ofPPP and thecorruption that took place instate-owned enterprises after underwent through thenationalisation programme, started in 2008 by thePPP.^[13]

During a campaign rally in Lahore,Imran fell 14 ft as he was stepping off an improvised forklift. He was seen to be bleeding and unconscious with a gash on his head. He was then taken toShaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital whereImran was treated for two fractures to his spinal column.^[51] During the election process, thePTI was also leading a religio-political alliance, consisting ofJamaat-e-Islami and the Shia minorityMWM.^[46]

On 24 March 2013, former PresidentPervez Musharraf returned from self-imposed exile to lead the liberalAPML and to run in the election despite threats from thefar-right andextremistTehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on his life,^[52] similar to the return ofBenazir Bhutto, who was assassinated shortly after returning.

On immediate basis, Musharraf's candidature was rejected from his home town ofKarachi on the grounds that he violated theConstitution and that he had sackedsenior judges during his presidency. Electoralreturning officer Ikramur Rehman upheld the objections by his rivals. The liberalPML(Q) official, Afzal Agha, said "this is a biased decision." He was also rejected from theKasur– a rural town inPunjab. However, he was later approved in theChitral, also a rural town inKhyber–Pathtunkwa.^[53] On 8 April 2013, theSupreme Court issued a summon to be appear over in theapex court to face charges of treason and barred him from leaving the country.^[54]

On 16 April, an appeal for his approval from Chitral decided by a court in the provincial capital ofPeshawar in which he was barred on the grounds that he violated the constitution by imposing emergency rule in 2007. His lawyer said that he would appeal to the Supreme Court.^[55] He was also ordered to be kept underhouse arrest for two weeks. On 23 April, he appeared at a Rawalpindi court under tight security on charges relating to theassassination of Benazir Bhutto.^[56] On 25 April, he was formally arrested for the same charge.^[57] The Peshawar High Court then banned him for life from taking part in politics activities. Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan said: "The former dictator [Musharraf] had ordered senior judges and their families be put under house arrest and twice abrogated the country's constitution."^[58] In reaction to the ban, a party spokeswoman for theAll Pakistan Muslim League said that it would boycott the election.^[59] He was granted US$20,000 bail on 20 May.^[60]

Theextremistterrorist organisation, theTehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed the responsibility for two bombings at the offices of independent candidates on 28 April. InKohat, theTTP bombedleft-wingANP's Nasir Khan Afridi's office which killed six and critically wounded others. In the suburbs ofPeshawar, a device bomb at killed three people.^[61] The next day, at least eight people, including the son of Afghani cleric Qazi Amin Waqad, were killed and 45 others were wounded in a suicide attack in Peshawar. The bomb had targeted Sahibzada Anees, a senior city administrator, who had just passed the area. Hilal was a part of the Afghan High Peace Council and was organising a meeting of Afghan and Pakistani religious scholars to oppose militancy. All political parties condemned the attack.^[62] The same day, at a Karachi press conference the leaders of theleft-wing parties– thePPP,MQM andANP—said that the attacks would not stop them from participating in the election.ANP'sSecretary-General,Bashir Jan, said that his party had previously made sacrifices in relations to the 2012 assassination ofBashir Bilour, the former party leader. His statement followed an explosion that wounded three children near the election office of Mohammad Ahmed Khan, the ANP candidate from Charsadda in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.^[63] On 2 May, a bomb exploded outside the MQM headquarters in which seven people were injured.^[64] On 4 May, at least three people were killed and 34 others were wounded when two bombs targeted the election office of the MQM in the Azeezabad area of Karachi.^[65]

In a rally inKurram Valley, at least 15 people were dead and over 50 injured at aJUI(F) rally for candidates Munir Orakzai and Ain-u-Dun Shakir. The rally was part of the faction led byFazal-ur-Rehman. The latter was slightly wounded.^[66] Armed skirmishes and tensions also flared near theAfghanistan–Pakistan border.^[67] On 9 May, the son of former prime ministerYousef Raza Gilani,Ali Haider Gilani, was abducted following a gunfight at a rally inMultan that killed his personal secretary.^[68]

Scattered gun and bomb attacks marred an otherwise celebratory day in a nation mired in economic crisis and locked in a fight with a virulent nativeTaliban insurgency. By the time polls closed in the evening, at least 20 people had died in attacks, the most serious targeting a pro-US political party in the southern port city ofKarachi. The violence, which included blasts outside a political office in Karachi that left 10 dead, capped a bloody election season.^[69] More than 130 people have been killed in bombings and shootings over the campaign, prompting some to call this one of the deadliest votes in the country's history.

Several bombs were reportedly defused before voting began on Saturday morning, according toal-Jazeera. No one had so far taken the responsibility for the attacks, except for the initial two blasts in the coastal city of Karachi, claimed byTTP.^[70]

Various polls were conducted by different organisations, all of which show inconsistencies and different results.

In March 2013, a survey byHeinrich Böll Foundation showed that 29% of the people surveyed would support thePakistan Peoples Party. As the highest nummain opposition party, 25% would support thePakistan Muslim League (N), led by former prime ministerNawaz Sharif. Another 20% supported the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led by former cricketerImran Khan.^[71]

According to a survey conducted byGallup Pakistan and PILDAT thePakistan Muslim League topped the list on voting intention score inPunjab, followed by the PPP and the PTI respectively. The February 2013 political forecast is based on a nationwide poll of approximately 9,660 voters in 300 villages and urban localities. The voting intention score of PML-N stands at 63% in North and Central Punjab, 69% in Western Punjab and 49% in Southern Punjab, shows the survey. According to the consolidated findings of two nationwide polls on voting intentions, conducted by IRI and Gallup Pakistan respectively during past three months, the front runner in Pakistan's elections scheduled in mid-2013 is the PML-N. The PTI, according to the survey, is making deep inroads inKhyber-Pakhtunkhwa where it has surpassed every other player by a 30% score.^[72]

Senior political analyst,Najam Sethi said,Nawaz Sharif held public meetings and rallies in every nook and corner of the country whileShahbaz Sharif completed development projects in Punjab which attracted politicians from the other parties. Sethi said that the 3% raise in the popularity graph of thePPP was made possible due toAsif Ali Zardari's efforts who gathered many such politicians as used to oppose him. He said the popularity of both the parties increased due to the revival of the traditional politics and the same was the cause of decrease in popularity of unorthodox politicians likeImran Khan. However, Imran Khan's next public meetings would help him a lot, Sethi predicted, saying that the PTI leader's graph would go up after public rallies inLahore andPeshawar and the party would play an important role in formation of the next government.^[73]

The survey's findings indicate that the PTI's support is derived from all age groups – 22.9 per cent of those between 18 and 35 years, 18.6 per cent of those between 36 and 50 years, 18.4 per cent of those between 51 and 70 years and 7.7 of those above 70 years support the PTI, dispelling the notion that its vote bank is rooted in the younger generation. The highest proportion of those aged between 36 and 50 years (32.5 per cent) indicate a preference for the PPP. Similarly, 46.2 per cent of those aged over 70 expressed a preference for the PML(N). Compared with respondents' voting histories, the PML(N)'s vote bank appears to have remained stagnant while the PPP's seems to have declined significantly. It appears that the PTI has a stronger urban base, while a higher proportion of rural respondents indicated that they would vote for either the PPP or the PML(N) in the upcoming elections.^[74]

Predictably, the highest level of support for the rulingPakistan Peoples Party was pledged bySindhis, 55% of whom said they would vote for the PPP in the upcoming elections. This was followed by Seraiki-speakers at 46%. Around ~44% of Hindko-speakers said they intend to vote for thePakistan Muslim League, closely followed byPunjabi people at 43%. The same proportion ofHindko-speakers – 44% – also expressed an intention to vote for thePakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, indicating a close contest between the two parties (PMLN and PTI) within that particular demographic. It is worth noting that while 34% ofPakhtuns stated that they would vote forPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, only 11% expressed support for theAwami National Party (ANP). 47% ofBalochis said that they would vote for theBalochistan National Party.^[74] Similarly 90% Muhajirs of Hyderabad and urban areas of Karachi Largest metropolis in terms of area and population votes for Muttahida Qoumi Movement.

On average, approximately a third of those earning up to 30,000 rupees each month indicated a preference for thePakistan Peoples Party whereas, among those earning more than 30,000 rupees, support for the party dropped to 10.8 percent. This is in keeping with the party's traditional pro-poor image. No such trend could be determined for thePakistan Muslim League, whose level of support remained similar across all income levels. Those earning in excess of 250,000 rupees each month (the highest identified income bracket in the survey) expressed the maximum intention to vote for either theMuttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) or thePakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, at 33 per cent each. While this figure may appear anomalistic in the MQM's case – support for the party within the second highest income bracket (those earning between 100,000 and 250,000 rupees each month) was only four per cent – it was possible to identify a rough direct trend between level of income and support for the PTI. In general, it appeared that support for smaller parties declined with increasing levels of income.^[74]

TheNational Democratic Institution have stated the elections will be a "historical transition." An NDI assessment mission—consisting of Canada's former prime ministerJoe Clark, former Indonesian House of Representatives member Nursanita Nasution, Chatham House senior fellowXenia Dormandy and NDI Asia programmes director Peter Manikas—released its findings at a press briefing inIslamabad after its observation of Pakistan's political framework.

The mission visited Pakistan from 16 to 21 December and met with election authorities, government officials, party leaders, media and citizen monitoring groups. Joe Clark commended the co-operation of all parties, especially in adopting measures to bring theFederally Administered Tribal Areas under the political umbrella. Clark stated that the18th Amendment to the constitution reflects the parliament's integrity and commitment towards a fair democratic handover. Nursanita Nasution highlighted the need to address the rights of women in the polling process so that "fear and intimidation in high-risk areas such asBaluchistan,FATA,Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa andKarachi" would not strip women of the opportunity to vote. Xenia Dormandy suggested "improving accessibility and adjusting locations" of women polling stations closer to those for men so that they could travel with the men in their families to vote. Sandra Houston, Regional Director of NDI, stated "We are impressed with the cooperation of all the stakeholders in assuring a smooth transition," sharing that voters have been registered withComputerised National Identity Cards and biometrics including photographs where possible.^[75]

TheEuropean Union offered to send its observers to Pakistan's elections, in a bid to ensure a "peaceful, credible" vote that will be "acceptable" to all. "The EU looks forward to upcoming elections that are peaceful, credible, transparent, inclusive and acceptable to the Pakistani people," EU foreign ministers said released after talks. The 27-nation bloc "is ready to assist by deploying an election observation mission, as a tangible sign of our support for the democratic process," the statement added. The ministers also said they looked forward to re-energizing ties with the next government and hoped quick contacts could lead to a third EU-Pakistan summit.^[76] Pakistan responded by saying it will welcome a European Union election observation mission during the forthcoming general elections."Yes, we will welcome the observation mission", foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani said.^[77]

A 110-member team from the European Union will observe Pakistan's elections. The European Union High Representative and Vice-President of the European Commission, Ms. Catherine Ashton, has decided to authorise a European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM) to observe the elections. A member of the European Parliament will lead the 2013 EU EOM as its Chief Observer. The EU EOM team will include observers, experts, election analysts, political analysts, legal analysts, human rights analysts, media analysts and others. On the basis of special agreements with the EU, observers from Norway, Switzerland and Canada are also part of the EOM. Some members will be deployed well in advance of election day, while others will be deployed at least ten days prior to the election day.

The observers will assess aspects of the election process, nomination of candidates, election campaign, counting, tabulation, announcement of official results and complaints' procedures, and will cover pre-election preparations, election-day itself and the post-electoral period. The observers will follow the political campaign and hold regular meetings with representatives of election management bodies, political parties, candidates and civil society groups.^[78]

TheUS Ambassador to PakistanRichard Olsen stated that the United States applauds democratic tendencies in Pakistan, expressing hopes that free and fair general elections would lead to peaceful transfer of authority from one civilian government to successor dispensation. Completion of the current term by a democratically elected government will be a milestone inPakistan's history.^[79]

A US delegation consisting of SenatorCarl Levin, US Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olsen andArmed Services Committee SenatorJack Reed visited Pakistan on 8 January for talks with Prime MinisterRaja Pervaiz Ashraf. The delegation stated that not only the US, but the world would observe the general election with great interest.^[80]

TheCentre for American Progress published a report called "Previewing Pakistan's 2013 Elections" whose author, Colin Cookman, writes that the United States should work with, and not attempt to control Pakistan's internal political processes. The report also warns that whoever wins the elections should try to resolve the problems the country faces or be prepared to face accountability. Cookman states that "only Pakistanis themselves are capable of establishing a more stable, democratic system capable of balancing diverse interest groups and effectively addressing the country's challenges."

It encourages the US to make efforts to support Pakistan's democratic evolution and the success of its upcoming elections. Such efforts should include a public commitment to neutrality and respect for the electoral processes, coupled with support for an international observation mission. It also urges US diplomatic and military officials to continue to engage with a broad array of Pakistani civilian leaders and military officials, while making it clear that the United States "does not favour any specific electoral outcome and strongly opposes any disruption of the constitutional process or intervention during the caretaker period."^[81]

US officials have denied the general perception in Pakistan that the US government wants to influence the electoral process in Pakistan to bring in a friendly government. US Secretary of StateJohn Kerry skipped a planned visit to Pakistan to avoid accusations of meddling in the 11 May elections. SpokespersonVictoria Nuland stated that the message the United States wants to send out during the election season is "we have no favourites among Pakistani politicians and we are looking forward to work with whoever is elected on May 11." Secretary Kerry's decision to skip Pakistan during his South Asia visit is an indication of Washington's eagerness to maintain neutrality during the elections.^[82]

Statistics anddatabase collected and published by theElection Commission (EC), approximately ~86.9 millionPakistanis were registered to vote.^[83] Overall, theVoter turnout was 55.02%,^[84][85] the highest since1970 and1977.^[a]

The Election Commission results were broadcast bynews channels announcing that thePML(N) had emerged as the largest party, winning four times as many seats as its nearest competitor, thePPP.^[86] Though, it fell short for asupermajority in theParliament. The PML-N ranks were boosted into an overall majority by 19 independent winning candidates who switched allegiance to the PML-N.^[87] The PPP emerged as the second largest party, with 45 seats, and thePTI, with 33 seats, emerged as third largest party.^[86]

Following the elections, 19 independents joined PML(N).^[88]

Party		Votes	%	Seats
				General	Women	Minority	Total	+/–
	Pakistan Muslim League (N)	14,874,104	32.77	126	34	6	166	+78
	Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf	7,679,954	16.92	28	6	1	35	New
	Pakistan Peoples Party	6,911,218	15.23	33	8	1	42	–74
	Muttahida Qaumi Movement – London	2,456,153	5.41	19	4	1	24	–1
	Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F)	1,461,371	3.22	11	3	1	15	New
	Pakistan Muslim League (Q)	1,409,905	3.11	2	0	0	2	–52
	Pakistan Muslim League (F)	1,072,846	2.36	5	1	0	6	+1
	Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan	963,909	2.12	3	1	0	4	New
	Awami National Party	453,057	1.00	2	0	0	3	–10
	Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal	360,297	0.79	0	0	0	0	New
	Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party	214,631	0.47	3	1	0	4	New
	National Peoples Party	197,829	0.44	2	1	0	3	+2
	Pakistan Muslim League (Z)	128,510	0.28	1	0	0	1	New
	Bahawalpur National Awami Party	113,365	0.25	0	0	0	0	New
	Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Nazryati	103,098	0.23	0	0	0	0	New
	Awami Muslim League	93,046	0.20	1	0	0	1	New
	Sindh United Party	82,634	0.18	0	0	0	0	0
	Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Pakistan	76,358	0.17	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Muslim League (J)	71,773	0.16	0	0	0	0	New
	Awami Jamhuri Ittehad Pakistan	71,175	0.16	1	0	0	1	New
	Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan	67,966	0.15	0	0	0	0	New
	Balochistan National Party	63,979	0.14	1	0	0	1	New
	National Party	61,148	0.13	1	0	0	1	+1
	All Pakistan Muslim League	54,231	0.12	1	0	0	1	New
	Pakistan National Muslim League	52,398	0.12	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Peoples Party (Shaheed Bhutto)	50,046	0.11	0	0	0	0	0
	Qaumi Watan Party	46,574	0.10	1	0	0	1	New
	Tehreek-e-Suba Hazara	43,265	0.10	0	0	0	0	New
	Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen	41,520	0.09	0	0	0	0	New
	Sunni Ittehad Council	37,732	0.08	0	0	0	0	New
	Sunni Tehreek	25,485	0.06	0	0	0	0	0
	Sindh Taraqi Passand Party	23,397	0.05	0	0	0	0	New
	Qoumi Wattan Party	19,253	0.04	0	0	0	0	New
	Awami Workers Party	18,650	0.04	0	0	0	0	New
	Balochistan National Party (Awami)	12,866	0.03	0	0	0	0	–1
	Hazara Democratic Party	11,052	0.02	0	0	0	0	0
	Mohajir Qaumi Movement	10,575	0.02	0	0	0	0	New
	Jamote Qaumi Movement	10,468	0.02	0	0	0	0	New
	Saraiki Party	5,236	0.01	0	0	0	0	New
	Kissan Ittehad	4,367	0.01	0	0	0	0	New
	Falah Party	4,207	0.01	0	0	0	0	New
	Awami Justice Party	3,803	0.01	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Justice Party	3,230	0.01	0	0	0	0	New
	Islami Tehreek	2,694	0.01	0	0	0	0	New
	Christian Progressive Movement	2,523	0.01	0	0	0	0	New
	Mohib-e-Wattan Nowjawan Inqilabion Ki Anjuman	2,503	0.01	0	0	0	0	New
	Mutahidda Qabil Party	2,399	0.01	0	0	0	0	New
	Qaumi Tahaffaz Party	2,202	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Mustaqbil Pakistan	2,052	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Sairkistan Qaumi Ittehad	1,890	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Seraiki Sooba Movement	1,797	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Awami Workers Party	1,657	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Jamhoori Wattan Party	1,632	0.00	0	0	0	0	0
	Karwan-i-Millat	1,412	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Jannat Pakistan Party	1,269	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Tehreek Tabdili Nizam	1,164	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Muslim League (SB)	1,063	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Insani Haqook Party	989	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Patriotic Movement	948	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Muslim League (S)	890	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Markazi Jamiat Mushaikh	833	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Conservative Party	794	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Tehreek-e-Istehkaam	651	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Islamic Republican Party	631	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Tehrek-e-Inqalab	593	0.00	0	0	0	0	0
	Tehreek-e-Ittehad Ummat	583	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pak Justice Party	537	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Freedom Party	502	0.00	0	0	0	0	0
	Roshan Pakistan Muhaibban Wattan Party	493	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Muslim League (H)	472	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Mutahida Baloch Movement	471	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Menecracy Action Party	447	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Awami Himayat Tehreek	330	0.00	0	0	0	0	0
	Islami Inqalab Party	274	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Human Rights Party	266	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (S)	258	0.00	0	0	0	0	0
	Pakistan Gharib Party	256	0.00	0	0	0	0	0
	Sindh Dost Ittehad Party	250	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Istehkaam-e-Pakistan	240	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pak Wattan Party	220	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Istiqlal Party	218	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Hazara Awami Ittehad	214	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan National Democratic Party	191	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Communist Party of Pakistan	191	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Ghareeb Awam Party	174	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Muslim League (M)	172	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Muslim League (C)	152	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Afgan Qomi Movement	152	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Brohi Party	149	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Muhajir League	134	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Muhafiz Watan Party	126	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Azad Pakistan Party	116	0.00	0	0	0	0	0
	Pakistan Muslim League (Zehri)	101	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Tehreek-e-Masawaat	99	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	All Pakistan Bayrozgar Party	89	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Aman Party	71	0.00	0	0	0	0	0
	Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal	69	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Motherland Party	68	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Muslim League (H)	64	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Qaumi Party	55	0.00	0	0	0	0	0
	Pakistan Islami Justice Party	54	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Tehreek-e-Wafaq	48	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Salam Pakistan Party	34	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Aap Janab Sarkar Party	30	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Jamiat Ulma-e-Pakistan (Niazi)	27	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Muhammadi Party	24	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Aalay Kalam Ullah Farman Rasool	15	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	All Pakistan Youth Working Party	14	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Punjab National Party	13	0.00	0	0	0	0	0
	Pakistan Awami Quwat Party	9	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Pakistan Awami Inqalab	7	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	Independents	5,880,658	12.96	27	0	0	27	–3
Repoll ordered				3	–	–	3	–
Postponed/terminated/withheld				5	–	1	6	–
Total		45,388,404	100.00	272	60	10	342	0
Registered voters/turnout		84,207,524	–
Source:ECP (elected seats),ECP (minority seats),ECP (women seats),ECP (votes)

On the night of the elections, the youth supporter, partisans, and lobbyists gathered inRaiwand– a private residential place of president of thePML,Nawaz Sharif. Speaking to his supporters and media representatives, Nawaz Sharif who was standing with his daughter,Maryam Nawaz and wifeKulsoom Nawaz, said:

Through this vote and campaign, I have felt how much love Pakistan has for me. And I have twice as much love for you. Thank God that he has given us the chance to help you, to help Pakistan, to help the young people. We will fulfill all the promises that we have made. Pray that we can make a government on our own, without compromises or have to lean on anyone else. Because if we have to ask for seats, we cannot make a strong government. We forgive anyone who has abused us along the way and we have not cursed anyone. We want to get Pakistan out of trouble. We have a program to change theState of Pakistan. We must make a decision to change this country. To all other parties, I say come and sit at the table.

TheChief Election CommissionerFakhruddin G. Ebrahim expressed gratitude to the voters for the record high turnout of 60%.^[90] Secretary of the Election Commission Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan said that the elections were free, fair and transparent and the claims of irregularities will be answered on a case-by-case basis.^[91]

Even before the result was announced, the PTI conceded defeat.^[92] PTI leader Imran Khan congratulated Nawaz Sharif^[93] but also demanded recounting in numerous constituencies.^[94]

MQM leaderAltaf Hussain spoke to PML (N). He also called then the 'Punjabis representative party.' He went on to say that the "Muslim League (N) has emerged victorious in the elections and Nawaz Sharif is a representative leader of the Punjabis." His statements were condemned by some in thePakistani media and from supporters of the PML (N).^[95]

Military analyst and security expertTalat Masood said: "This is an ideal and a graceful victory for Sharif. He will form a strong government at the center, which is badly needed to tackle some enormous economic and security challenges."^[96]

PresidentAsif Ali Zardari blamed the poor performance of PPP on a domestic and international conspiracy, as well as domestic terrorism by the Taliban preventing the party from campaigning.^[97]

The country's stocks rose to record and theeconomic indicators performed well in advance of the unofficially determined results in an expectation ofPML(N)'s win.^[98]

Upon news of the results, theKSE 100 at theKarachi Stock Exchange crossed the 20,000 mark for the first time on 13 May 2013.^[99] The victory byPML(N) in the general election lifted the stock market to an all-time high on 11–13 May, in a sign thatinvestors, which includeGoldman Sachs andMark Mobius of Templeton, were seen as the topforeign investors at theKarachi Stock Exchange on the prospect of further market gains through a stable government.^[100]

On the day of the elections, the benchmarkKSE 100 Index gained 1.8%, the most since 12 March, ~20,272.28 Marks, taking its rally this year to 20.0%.^[101] TheMCB Ltd. gained ~4.9% to₨. 261.60 million, poised for the highest close since May 2008.^[101] ThePakistan State Oil (PSO) jumped 5.0% to₨. 221.86 million; theABL Assets also increased its profit variation to ~$203.0 million.^[101]

Supranational bodies

• European Union – High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security PolicyCatherine Ashton called the election an "historic victory" for democracy in the country. "I wish to congratulate the people of Pakistan. The 2013 general election marks a historic victory for the democratic life on their country. Despite an extremely difficult security environment and threats from extremists, voters turned out in unprecedented numbers with many Pakistani citizens voting for the first time. All the main stakeholders, in particular the political parties and state institutions, acted in a responsible manner, demonstrating their support for democracy and the holding of the elections."^[102]
• United Nations –Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon congratulated the government and people of Pakistan on the successful conduction of national and provincial elections, hailing the polls, for which millions of voters turned out, as a major democratic step. "This is the first ever transition from one civilian government to another and a significant step forward for democracy in the country. By exercising their constitutional right to vote, the people of Pakistan have reaffirmed their desire for and commitment to a democratic Pakistan and their respect for the constitution of the country."^[103]

States

• Afghanistan –PresidentHamid Karzai telephoned PML (N) leader Nawaz Sharif and congratulated him on his party triumph in the general elections. The Afghan President also expressed well wishes for Nawaz Sharif and his party.^[104] Karzai said that he was optimistic that ties between two brotherly countries would be friendly after Nawaz take charge of Premier office. Nawaz vowed that Pakistan would take every step to improve its relationship with all neighbours especially with Afghanistan.
• China – PresidentXi Jinping and theMinistry of Foreign Affairs congratulated Nawaz Sharif. SpokesmanHong Lei said the Chinese government were happy to see steady and smooth elections in Pakistan. "As China's all-weather friend, China will continue to support Pakistan's efforts to maintain stability and achieve development.Sino-Pakistani friendly and cooperative relations will enter into a new high with the efforts by the two sides."^[78]
•  India – Prime MinisterManmohan Singh congratulated Nawaz Sharif on his "emphatic victory" in the historic elections and said he hoped for better relations. Singh wrote on his officialTwitter account: "Congratulations to Mr. Nawaz Sharif and his party for their emphatic victory in Pakistan's elections". He said he hoped to work with Sharif to chart "a new course for the relationship" between the nuclear-armed neighbours and invited him to "visit India at a mutually convenient time."^[105]

Jammu and Kashmir Chief MinisterOmar Abdullah congratulated Nawaz Sharif for his party's performance and hoped that he would live up to his commitment to restart the peace process with India.^[106]

The oppositionBJP congratulated Mr. Nawaz Sharif on his historic electoral victory^[107]

• Saudi Arabia – Theroyal family greeted Nawaz Sharif on his thumping victory in the elections. Sources said that Saudi personalities congratulating Nawaz Sharif have expressed their well wishes for him.^[108]
• Sri Lanka – PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa telephoned Nawaz Sharif and congratulated him on his victory in historic election.^[109]
• Iran –Foreign Ministry spokesmanAbbas Araghchi congratulated Pakistan for successful elections and for Sharif's ability to win the people's trust. Araqchi further pointed to the close relations betweenIran and Pakistan and hoped for further expansion of bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries.^[110]
• Turkey – Both PresidentAbdullah Gul and Prime MinisterRecep Tayyip Erdogan made separate phone calls to Nawaz Sharif and felicitated him on his victory.^[111]
• United Arab Emirates –Sheikh Khalifa congratulated Nawaz Sharif on his victory in the elections.^[112]
• United Kingdom – Prime MinisterDavid Cameron congratulated Nawaz Sharif on his resounding election victory and praised his commitment to economic reforms. Cameron spoke to Sharif on the telephone and they agreed to work to reinforce the "strong bond" between their two countries. They also pledged their commitment to the trilateral process, the three-way talks between Britain, Pakistan and Afghanistan aimed at finding peace in Afghanistan, where Britain is starting to reduce its 9,000-strong troop presence. The Prime Minister and Nawaz Sharif agreed that the strong bond between the UK and Pakistan was a huge asset and that they would work together to strengthen the relationship further. Cameron welcomed Nawaz Sharif's commitment to prioritise economic reforms. The two leaders also agreed on their shared commitment to the trilateral process and its importance in achieving peace in Afghanistan and the wider region.^[113]
•  United States – PresidentBarack Obama praised Pakistanis for upholding their commitment to democratic rule by successfully completing the elections. Obama hailed "this historic peaceful and transparent transfer of civilian power." He said Pakistanis ran competitive campaigns and persevered despite "intimidation by violent extremists."^[114] Three days later, Obama called Sharif over the phone and again congratulated him on his party's election victory. "The US president said his country respects the mandate given to Nawaz Sharif in the elections." US Secretary of StateJohn Kerry called Sharif on the phone to congratulate him on his strong showing in Saturday's elections. Kerry also told Sharif that he looks forward to working with the government as the government is formed in Pakistan. Kerry is hoping to visit Pakistan soon, once the new government is in place.^[115]

• The winning candidate on PS-114, inSindh of the ruling PML-N was disqualified and re-election ordered after it emerged that a large number of votes were invalid^[116]
• The winning candidate on PP-97 Gujranwala, from the ruling PML-N, was disqualified and fresh elections were ordered after it emerged that serious rigging had taken place on the seat^[117]
• TheChief Election Commissioner conceded that theElection Commission had failed to conduct free and fair elections inKarachi, Pakistan's largest city of 20 million and its main economic hub.^[118]
• The Chief election Commissioner resigned, citing extreme judicial interference preventing the investigation of voter irregularities.^[119][120]
• TheElection Commission admitted that it had no control of the Returning officers, the persons responsible for overseeing the election at individual polling stations.^[121]
• ThePTI demanded the thumb verification be held in four constituencies – to check if the votes were genuine or bogus. The PMLN refused, ostensibly due to cost, despite the fact that the PTI offered to pay^[122]
• A candidate for PTI paid₨.5 million to have his votes verified. The election commission then confirmed that 265 bags of votes were bogus and only 69 were genuine.^[123] The PTI candidate was defeated by the PML-N candidate.
• A candidate ofJUI-F was disqualified after it was learned that there had been rigging on 28 different women's polling stations.^[124]
• A PTI candidate disqualified PS-93 seat in Karachi to JI and re-election was ordered.^[125]
• In theNational AssemblyConstituency NA-125 the National Database and Registration AuthorityNADRA found that more than 20% of all votes cast were not verifiable^[126]
• In theNational AssemblyConstituency NA-118 the National Database and Registration AuthorityNADRA found that more than 33% of the votes cast could not be verified. More than 4000 votes were cast with incorrect/incomplete CNIC numbers.^[127] This constituency had been won by Malik Riaz.
• In theNational AssemblyConstituency NA-154 the National Database and Registration AuthorityNADRA found that more than 20,000 votes were not verifiable. The seat was won by an independent candidate, Muhammad Siddique Khan Baloch, who later joined thePakistan Muslim League-N.^[128]
• In the Provincial AssemblyConstituency PP-107 (Hafizabad-III) the election tribunal found evidence of "massive" and "organized" rigging.The extracts of the report, focusing on PP-107, Hafizabad-III, stated that "the result of the election favourable to the returned candidate is not the will of the electors of the constituency in the true sense at all". Tribunal judge Kazim Ali Malik states, "The election does not reflect the true will of the people."

"I am fully justified on the basis of documentary evidence to set aside the election of the returned candidate, which does not reflect the true will of the people," Malik states in the report. "I therefore discard the available record as well as the election record, which has been misappropriated or stolen. I declare the election of the returned candidates from PP-107, Hafizabad-III as a whole to be void."In PP-107, Hafizabad-III, 21,298 fake and bogus votes were counted as valid votes towards the vote account of the candidates. The number of used counterfoils found in election bags by the commission was 54,242, while the total number of polled votes in a statement by the Returning Officer (RO) was recorded as 72,895.^[129]

• In the Provincial AssemblyConstituency PP-97 (Gujranwala-VII) the election tribunal declared null and void the voting results in PP-97 and ordered re-election on 33 polling stations in the Punjab Assembly constituency won by ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's candidate.^[130]

• The PML-N has been accused of hindering the bureaucracy's ability to carry out Free and fair elections,Tariq Malik, the chairman ofNADRA was fired byNawaz Sharif after he announced that NADRA had the technology to verify votes through thumbprint verification. TheIslamabad High Court had him restored to his position,^[131] after which Tariq Malik resigned alleging that he had been threatened with kidnapping of him and his family by those who did not want the election process verified.^[132]
• After Tariq Malik's sacking. It emerged that someone had broken into NADRA's office and tampered with the ballot boxes of seat NA-118 (Lahore) which was at the centre of the rigging allegations. The boxes had been moved to NADRA so that the votes could be thumb verified, as demanded by the PTI, but had instead been tampered with. This has led to accusations by the opposition that the civil service is either under extreme pressure or incompetent in adjudicating disputes but no proof was given^[131]

• The election commission confirmed that there was a "typing error" on NA-68. PM Nawaz Sharif's winning seat, it emerged that the PM had received only 779 votes rather than 7879 as originally recorded. This has led to accusations of incompetence which has compromised the fairness of the elections^[133][134]
• They announced this a whole year after the PTI, led byImran Khan demanded an investigation, which has led to accusations of critical inefficiency at the ECP.

On 17 May 2013, theVice-President of the PTI,Zahra Hussain, was shot and killed in Karachi just before re-election was due to be held.^[135] Three days later, it was announced that the PTI had taken the Karachi seat in re-polling.^[135]Imran Khan alleged thatAltaf Hussain, a leader ofMQM, was responsible for inciting violence and was responsible for the murder.^[135] Few days later,British Police raided Altaf Hussain's house in London.

ThePML(N)'s key strategist,Sartaj Aziz, announced innews media the next day that theindependents candidates were in negotiation process with thePML(N) to join the party to form the government and to work out "a few key portfolios."^[136]

A total of nineteenthindependents who had won from their respectedconstituencies joined thePML(N), which allowed theparty to form a government with asimple majority. Thisswing ultimately led toNawaz Sharif elevated as thePrime Minister. Soon after his appointment,Sharif said after being formally approved as prime minister that in regards to drone strikes: "We respect the sovereignty of others and they should also respect our sovereignty and independence. This campaign should come to an end." Despite this, two days later another drone strike killed seven people in Pakistan.^[137]

The election for prime minister took place on 5 June 2013.^[138]

←2012		5 June 2013	2017→
Candidate		Party	Votes Obtained
Required majority →			172 out of 342
	Nawaz Sharif	PMLN	244Y
	Ameen Faheem	PPP	42N
	Javed Hashmi	PTI	31N
	Abstentions		<25

• Pakistan: Putting Democracy to the TestArchived 21 September 2020 at theWayback Machine, Al Jazeera episode ofInside Story

• 2013 Pakistani general election
• 2013 elections in Pakistan
• 2013 elections in Asia
• General elections in Pakistan
• May 2013 in Pakistan
• Electoral fraud in Pakistan
• 2013 in Pakistani politics

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