PAKISTAN was born out of a democratic struggle, yet ironically, its journey towards a strong democratic and electoral tradition has been anything but smooth.
Since independence in 1947, our electoral history reflects the broader story of our political evolution—marked by military interventions, constitutional challenges and a persistent desire for democratic continuity.
Pakistan has a federal parliamentary system.
During the last seventy years, there have been alternating civil and military rule in the country where the system of government has at times been parliamentary, presidential or semi-presidential.
Electoral System in Pakistan: Elections were held in the four provinces of Pakistan between 1947 and 1956 on the basis of adult franchise under the Government of India Act, 1935.
In 1956, the first Constitution of the country was adopted providing the basis for adult franchise.
In 1958, the Constitution was abrogated before the next elections.
A presidential referendum was held in 1960 under Basic Democracy.
In 1962, the new Constitution prescribed the elections with only limited participation based on indirect system through an electoral college of Basic Democrats who were elected on non-party basis.
Presidential elections were scheduled to be held in 1970 but martial law was imposed in 1969.
Our first general elections were held in 1970, a full 23 years after independence.
This delay had significant consequences, most notably the tragic secession of East Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.
The 1970 elections, though widely regarded as free and fair, revealed deep political, ethnic and geographic divisions.
The era of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto: After the breakup of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto emerged as a central figure.
His government held the 1977 general elections, but allegations of rigging led to massive unrest.
This unrest was used as a justification for a military takeover by General Zia-ul-Haq, marking the beginning of an 11-year military regime.
Military rule and controlled democracy: Under Zia, elections were held in 1985, but on a non-party basis—a move seen as weakening political parties.
Democracy returned after his death in 1988, leading to alternating government led by Benazir Bhutto.
Nawaz Sharif’s IJI came to power; elections followed the dismissal of Benazir’s government in 1990.
General elections were again held in 1993 after both the President and Prime Minister resigned under pressure; PPP won.
These governments were often short-lived due to accusations of corruption and repeated dissolutions by the President under Article 58(2)(b).
Musharraf era and beyond: Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N won in 1997’s elections.
In 1999, another military coup brought General Pervez Musharraf to power.
He held a referendum in 2002 and later elections, but these were seen as heavily managed.
However, by 2008, democratic forces returned and since then, Pakistan has seen four successive democratic transitions in 2008, 2013, 2018 and 2024—a major achievement in our history.
Recent developments: The 2013 elections marked the first time one civilian government completed its term and handed power to another through the ballot box.
The 2018 elections brought Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Imran Khan to power, amidst both praise and controversy regarding the role of institutions and transparency.
The 2024 general elections in Pakistan, held on 8 February, were among the most contentious in the nation’s history.
Marked by allegations of based on assumptions and widespread protests, the elections have significantly impacted Pakistan’s political landscape.
If someone has solid evidence of rigging, they should approach Election Tribunal.
Election laws: Election process is conducted by the Election Commission of Pakistan through a set of laws and rules.
The laws are made by the parliament keeping in view the provisions of the Constitution.
In 2017 the parliament passed a new election law that is called The Elections Act 2017.
Electoral Reforms Committee was established in 2014 under Chairmanship of Ishaq Dar along with 26 other members.
This new law consolidates eight old laws that were previously used to govern different sections of electoral process.
• The Electoral Rolls Act, 1974 • The Delimitation of Constituencies act, 1974 • The Senate Election Act, 1975 • The Representation of the People Act, 1976 • The Election Commission Order, 2002 • The Conduct of General Elections Order, 2002 • The Political Parties Order 2002 • The Allocation of Symbols Order, 2002
Electoral rolls: In the early decades after independence, electoral rolls in Pakistan were compiled manually.
The process was overseen by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), often with the help of provincial administrators.
These rolls were handwritten and highly susceptible to: * Errors (duplicate names, misspellings, dead voters) * Manipulation (bogus entries) * Limited access for public verification.
Elections during this time faced criticism for being rigged or manipulated and inaccurate voter lists contributed to that lack of trust.
One of the most significant reforms came under General Pervez Musharraf’s regime when the ECP made an attempt to modernize the rolls.
In 2002, voter lists were digitized for the first time.
While it was a step forward, the rolls were still criticized for being outdated and containing many inaccuracies.
The 2007 Supreme Court case brought these issues to light, as it was discovered that over 35 million voters were missing from the rolls— prompting immediate action.
A major breakthrough in electoral roll history came when the ECP partnered with NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority) in 2008 to create computerized electoral rolls based on Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs).
By 2011, this partnership resulted in: * A complete revision of the electoral roll * Elimination of millions of bogus or duplicate entries * Introduction of photograph-based voter lists * Requirement of a CNIC to vote.
This move significantly increased transparency and credibility in Pakistan’s electoral process and was widely praised by both local and international observers.
As of 2024, the ECP now maintains digitally secured, photo-enabled and CNIC-verified electoral rolls.
Declaration of principles for international election observation: The Commonwealth Secretariat is a signatory to both the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and the associated Code of Conduct for International Election Observation Missions, which were commemorated on 27 October 2005 at the United Nations in New York.
Commonwealth Observer Groups are organized and conducted in accordance with the Declaration and Commonwealth Observers undertake their duties in accordance with the Code of Conduct.
The road ahead: Today, as we look forward to upcoming electoral processes, we must reflect on our past.
Our history teaches us that democracy is not an event, but a process—a process that requires trust, transparency and the will of the people to be respected.
We must ensure that every vote counts, that every voice is heard and that institutions remain impartial and strong.
The electoral history of Pakistan is complex, but it is also inspiring.
Despite many hurdles, the people of Pakistan have never given up on the promise of democracy.
Let us honour their resilience by working together to build a system that is fair, inclusive and truly representative of the will of the people.
—The writer is former Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan and currently Chairman National Democratic Foundation. (kmdilshad@hotmail.com)
