2024 Balochistan provincial election

Provincial elections are scheduled to be held in Balochistan within 60 days after the dissolution of the Provincial Assembly, which is set to dissolve in August 2023, unless dissolved earlier: in which case the election shall be held within 90 days after dissolution. This means that the election must be held by or before 12 October 2023. However, on 5 August 2023, after the approval of the results of the 2023 digital census by the Council of Common Interests headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, elections will be delayed for several months, as new delimitations will be published on 14 December 2023. As a result, these elections will likely be held in 2024.[1][2]

2024 Balochistan provincial election
TBD
51 out of 65 seats in the Balochistan Assembly[lower-alpha 1]
33 seats needed for a majority
 
Leader Abdul Quddus Bizenjo Maulana Abdul Wasey Akhtar Mengal
Party BAP JUI (F) BNP-M
Leader since 29 October 2021 30 December 2007
Leader's seat Awaran Khuzdar-III
Last election 24.44%, 24 seats Did not contest[lower-alpha 2] 9.04%, 10 seats
Seats needed Increase 9 Steady Increase 23
 
Leader Qasim Suri
Party PTI
Leader since 25 December 2021
Leader's seat TBD
Last election 6.05%, 7 seats
Seats needed Increase 26
Map of Balochistan with Provincial Assembly constituencies
Incumbent Chief Minister

Abdul Quddus Bizenjo
BAP


Electoral system

The 65 seats of the Balochistan Assembly consist of 51 general seats, whose members are elected by the first-past-the-postvoting system through single-member constituencies. 11 seats are reserved for women and 3 seats are reserved for non-Muslims. The members on these seats are elected through proportional representation based on the total number of general seats secured by each political party.

Background

In the 2018 election, the newly formed Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), created by former members of Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML-Q) and Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N), emerged as the largest party in the province by winning 24 seats.[3]

The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and the Balochistan National Party (Mengal) (BNP-M) became the second and third largest parties by securing 10 seats each.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won 7 seats and emerged as the fourth largest party in the province for the very first time.

The PML(N), the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) and the National Party faced their worst ever defeats, as they won one, one, and zero seats, respectively.

Since no party got the majority, the BAP, PTI, Awami National Party (ANP) and Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) formed a coalition government.[4]

On 26 September 2021, a political crisis occurred in the province after a motion of a no-confidence motion was tabled against Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani.[5] Alyani resigned on 24 October 2021.[6]

Abdul Quddus Bizenjo became the new Chief Minister on 29 October 2021.[7]

On 12 August 2023, the Assembly was dissolved by Governor Abdul Wali Kakar on Bizenjo's advice.[8]

Notes
  1. 11 seats are reserved for Women and 3 are reserved for Non-Muslims filled through Proportional representation
  2. JUI (F) did not contest the 2018 elections, as they were part of an electoral alliance called Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal

References
  1. "Pakistan's general election may be delayed by new census". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  2. Sadozai, Irfan (2023-08-17). "Election delay all but certain as ECP decides to go for fresh delimitation". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
  3. Shah, Syed Ali (2018-12-31). "2018, a troubled year for Balochistan's politics". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  4. Dawn.com (2018-07-31). "BAP and PTI to form Balochistan government together". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  5. Nihad, Ghalib (2021-09-14). "Opposition submits no-confidence motion against Balochistan CM". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  6. Nihad, Dawn com | Ghalib (2021-10-24). "Jam Kamal Khan steps down as Balochistan CM". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  7. "Bizenjo emerges as candidate for CM's slot". The Express Tribune. 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  8. Zehri, Abdullah (2023-08-12). "Balochistan Assembly dissolved as governor approves CM Bizenjo's summary". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
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