Election in Pakistan:

Since its establishment in 1947, Pakistan has had an asymmetric federal government and is
a federal parliamentary democratic republic. At the national level, the people of Pakistan elect
a bicameral legislature, the Parliament of Pakistan. The parliament consists of a lower house called
the National Assembly, which is elected directly, and an upper house called the Senate, whose
members are chosen by elected provincial legislators. The head of government, the Prime Minister,
is elected by the majority members of the National Assembly and the head of state , the President, is
elected by the Electoral College, which consists of both houses of Parliament together with the five
provincial assemblies. In addition to the national parliament and the provincial assemblies, Pakistan
also has more than five thousand elected local governments.
The Election Commission of Pakistan, a constitutionally established institution chaired by an
appointed and designated Chief Election Commissioner, supervises the general elections. . A multi-
party system is in effect, with the National Assembly consisting of 342 seats and the Senate
consisting of 104 seats elected from the five provinces. The Constitution dictates that the general
elections be held every five years when the National Assembly has completed its term or has been
dissolved and that the Senatorial elections be held to elect members for terms of six years. By law,
general elections must be held within two months of the National Assembly completing its term.[1]

Electoral system
In law and Constitution
The Constitution of Pakistan more broadly and briefly defines how general elections (to a basic
extent) are conducted, giving the time of elections, and the framework under which the elections are
to be conducted

1. No Person shall, at the same time, be a member of, both houses (National
Assembly and Senate) or a House and a Provincial Assemblies.
2. When the National Assembly or a Provincial Assembly is dissolved, a general election to the
Assembly shall be held within a period of ninety days after the dissolution, and the results of
the election shall be declared not later than fourteen days after the conclusion of the polls.

“
A general election to the National Assembly or a Provincial Assembly shall be held
within a period of sixty days immediately following the day on which the term of the
Assembly is due to expire, unless the Assembly has been sooner dissolved, and the
results of the election shall be declared not later than fourteen days before that day. ”
[2]

Election Commission of Pakistan

The duty of conducting elections are established in the Constitution of Pakistan. Established in 1956,
the Election Commission of Pakistan holds the purpose of elections to Houses of Parliament, five
provincial assemblies and for election of such other public offices as may be specified by law or until
such law is made by the Parliament.[3] The Election Commission is constituted with comprising
the Chief Election Commissioner as its chairman (who is a judge or/ retired judge of the Supreme
Court) and four appointed members from each four provinces, each of whom is a judge of four High
Courts of the four provinces; all appointed by the President by constitution.[3]
The chief election commissioner is appointed for a term of 3 years. The Constitution grants
the chief election commission the security of tenure and financial autonomy.
Parliamentary elections
Assemblies elections
Pakistan has a parliamentary system in which, the executive and legislature are elected directly by
public voting. Constitution of Pakistan forbids the candidate of occupying the membership
of National Assembly and the Provincial assemblies simultaneously. In direct elections, a candidate
who obtains the highest number of votes in a constituency, is declared elected as a Member of
National or a Provincial Assembly.
The Seats in the National Assembly are allocated to each Province, the FATAs and the Federal
Capital on the basis of population in accordance with the last preceding Census officially published.
The National Assembly has 342 seats, usually elected for five year terms; however, if the National
Assembly dissolved, a general elections must be called in ninety-days period, in accordance to the
constitution.
Senate elections
The Senate consists of 104 members, of whom 14 members are elected by each Provincial
Assembly, eight members are elected from FATAs by the Members of National Assembly from these
areas, two members (one woman and one technocrat) is elected from the Federal Capital by the
Members of National Assembly; four women and four Technocrats are elected by the members of
each Provincial Assembly. One seat in the senate is reserved for minorities in each province.
The term of the members of the Senate is 6 years.

Presidential elections
The President is elected in presidential elections. In an indirect election, with the winner being
determined by votes casts by the electors of the Electoral College. The electoral college is
composed of elected senators, members of the national and provincial assemblies. The President is
a ceremonial post, head of state, and merely a figurehead with the executive powers granted
to Prime Minister, by the Constitution. The Constitution grants right to both men and women to run
for the presidency as it states that a presidential candidate, a Muslim, not less than 45 years of age,
and a Member of the National Assembly, can contest the Presidential election. The President is
elected for a term of 5 years.

Local government elections

In order to decentralize administrative and financial authority to be accountable to Local
Governments, elections to the local government institutions are held after every four years on non
party basis by the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan.
First local government election was held in 1959 under the dictatorship of ayub khan. second local
government election was held in 1979 under the dictatorship of general zia ul haq. third local
government election was under right after the cope of Pervaiz Musharaf in 2000, and finally first time
in history of Pakistan local body election held in Pakistan on December 7, 2013. The first time BD
Election held due to the immense pressure of new merging political power of PTI on the central
government of PMLN.

Methods of Voting Qualification

Qualification for membership of the Parliant
. in case of National/Provincial Assemblies if one is not less than 25 years of age and in case
of Senate not less than 30 years of age, can contest the elections and become a member of
the Parliament or a Provincial Assembly.
Voter Qualification
A person, who is a citizen of Pakistan, is not less than 18 years of age ,is enrolled as a voter in any
electoral roll under the electoral rolls act 1947.