In GE-2024, the elected Member of the National Assembly (MNA) from NA-216 Matiari secured 124,536 votes — 55% of the 224,811 ballots cast, but only 30% of the 417,629 registered voters in the constituency. Under Pakistan’s First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) electoral system, a candidate needs only the highest vote share to win a seat — not a majority.

According to the Final Consolidated Result (Form-49) of the constituency, the voter turnout stood at 54 percent. NA-216 was among 70 out of 266 National Assembly constituencies where the winner could secure 50% or more of the polled votes. Still, a substantial share of voters, 91,778, or 41%, did not vote for the winner. Moreover, the share of the winner among the total registered voters also remained only 30%.

The runner-up candidate secured 36% of the ballots cast; the third-placed candidate received 2%, while the remaining candidates collectively secured 3% of votes cast. A total of 8,497, or 4%, were declared invalid.

This story is part of FAFEN’s constituency-wise analysis of electoral representativeness across Pakistan’s 266 National Assembly constituencies. Under Pakistan’s First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) electoral system, the candidate with the highest vote total wins the seat regardless of whether they command a majority of votes cast. FAFEN’s data document that this produces elected members who, in many constituencies, do not carry majority support. Under a proportional representation (PR) system, by contrast, legislative seats are allocated in proportion to the vote shares won by parties or candidates — ensuring that a broader range of voter preferences is reflected in elected bodies. Pakistan’s GE-2024 data show the documented gap between votes cast and representation secured across all 266 National Assembly constituencies.

FAFEN’s full constituency-by-constituency series is available at the link below.

Explore more stories from the series here.