Independent candidates outnumber ticket-holders

islamabad — Although the Pakistan election battle was set to come down to three parties, Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N), the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), statistics reveal that independent candidates outnumber the candidates fielded by political parties.

In all, 11,673 candidates were in the run, 3,428 for National Assembly and 8,245 for provincial assembly seats. The number of candidates fielded by parties was 5,661 while the number of independent candidates in the race was 6,012.

For National Assembly seats, 1,623 candidates were in the race, 1,805 of them fielded by political parties and 1,623 independents. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the only province where the number of independent candidates for National Assembly seats was higher than those fielded by parties. For National Assembly seats, parties had fielded 820 candidates in Punjab, 441 in Sindh, 335 in KP, 173 in Balochistan and 36 in the federal capital. The number of independent candidates for National Assembly seats includeed 714 from Punjab, 373 from Sindh, 386 from KP, 117 from Balochistan and 33 from the federal capital.

For provincial assembly seats, 8,245 candidates were in the run — 3,856 fielded by parties and 4,389 contesting independently.

The number of independent candidates running for the Punjab and Sindh assemblies was higher than party ticket holders. —