Pakistan General Election 2029

What this countdown tracks

Pakistan's next general election to the National Assembly and the four Provincial Assemblies — Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan — due by February 2029 on the constitutional five-year cycle from the 8 February 2024 vote. The Election Commission of Pakistan administers a single ballot day on which roughly 130 million registered voters elect 336 members of the National Assembly (266 directly, 60 women's reserved seats and 10 minority seats) plus the four provincial chambers.

About this election

The 2024 cycle was held under heavy controversy after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was barred from contesting under its electoral symbol; PTI-backed independents won the most National Assembly seats but the PML-N and PPP formed a coalition that returned Shehbaz Sharif as Prime Minister. Imran Khan, jailed since August 2023, remains the dominant opposition figure and his case has continued to define the political calendar.

Under the Constitution of 1973, general elections must be held within 60 days of the dissolution of the National Assembly, whose term is fixed at five years. The caretaker government framework introduced by the 18th and 20th Amendments will again administer the run-up to the vote alongside the Election Commission. The military establishment's relationship with PTI, the future of the constitutional bench changes pushed through in 2024, and the IMF programme negotiated by the Sharif government are the key institutional backdrops.

Key issues

The campaign will turn on macroeconomic stabilisation under the IMF Extended Fund Facility, energy and circular-debt reform, the cost of the post-2022 floods recovery and climate-finance access, the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan against TTP and BLA insurgencies, and the unresolved status of Imran Khan and PTI's eligibility. Foreign-policy fault lines with India over Kashmir and water-sharing under the Indus Waters Treaty also typically surface in the closing weeks.

Past results

• 2024 (8 Feb): PTI-backed independents 93, PML-N 75, PPP 54, MQM-P 17 — PML-N–PPP coalition formed government under Shehbaz Sharif.
• 2018: PTI 149, PML-N 82, PPP 54 — Imran Khan elected Prime Minister.
• 2013: PML-N 166, PPP 42, PTI 35 — Nawaz Sharif's third term.
• 2008: PPP 124, PML-N 91, PML-Q 54 — first vote after Benazir Bhutto's December 2007 assassination.

How to follow

The Election Commission of Pakistan publishes constituency results at ecp.gov.pk and through the EMS Result app. Geo News, ARY News and Dawn run the dominant Urdu and English coverage; Reuters and AFP carry the wire feeds. Polling stations open 08:00 to 17:00 PKT.

Related countdowns

Pakistan's 2029 vote sits in a South Asian election cluster with the Indonesia general election and Indian state ballots including the Madhya Pradesh assembly election and Rajasthan assembly election. For regional context see the Bihar assembly election.

FAQ

When is the Pakistan 2029 election? Constitutionally due by 28 February 2029 — within 60 days of the National Assembly's term ending in mid-February 2029. Who is running? PML-N (Shehbaz Sharif / Nawaz Sharif), PPP (Bilawal Bhutto Zardari), PTI (Imran Khan, subject to legal status), JUI-F, MQM-P and provincial parties. Why does this election matter globally? Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state of 240 million on the IMF programme, hosting the Afghanistan border and managing strategic ties with China (CPEC) and the United States. Will Imran Khan be on the ballot? Subject to the outcome of his ongoing legal cases and any Election Commission disqualification rulings — a live issue through 2027–28.