2008 Pakistani general election

2008 Pakistani general election
Saad Ali Khan Pakistan · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Election name	2008 Pakistani general election
Country	Pakistan
Type	parliamentary
Previous election	2002 Pakistani general election
Next election	2013 Pakistani general election

2008 Pakistani general election was a significant event in the History of Pakistan, marking a transition from a Musharraf regime to a democratically elected National Assembly of Pakistan. The election was held on February 18, 2008, and was won by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), led by Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated on December 27, 2007, in Rawalpindi. The election was also contested by the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N), led by Nawaz Sharif, and the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML-Q), which was supported by Pervez Musharraf.

Background

The 2008 Pakistani general election was held after the 2007 Pakistani state of emergency, which was declared by Pervez Musharraf on November 3, 2007. The emergency was lifted on December 15, 2007, and the election was scheduled for February 18, 2008. The election was monitored by the European Union, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the National Democratic Institute (NDI), which were led by John Kerry, Joe Biden, and Richard Holbrooke. The Pakistan Electoral Commission was responsible for conducting the election, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Election Campaign

The election campaign was marked by the participation of major parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N), and the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML-Q). The campaign was also contested by smaller parties, such as the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), led by Altaf Hussain, and the Awami National Party (ANP), led by Asfandyar Wali Khan. The campaign was marked by the use of social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, which were used by candidates such as Imran Khan and Shahbaz Sharif. The campaign was also covered by the media, including Geo News, ARY News, and Dawn News, which were owned by Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman and Salman Iqbal.

Results

The results of the election were announced on February 19, 2008, and showed that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had won the most seats, with a total of 121 seats in the National Assembly of Pakistan. The Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) came second, with a total of 91 seats, while the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML-Q) came third, with a total of 54 seats. The results were welcomed by the international community, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, which were represented by George W. Bush, Gordon Brown, and Nicolas Sarkozy. The results were also welcomed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank, which were led by Haruhiko Kuroda and Robert Zoellick.

Aftermath

The aftermath of the election saw the formation of a coalition government, led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N). The government was formed on March 25, 2008, and was led by Yousaf Raza Gillani, who was elected as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. The government was supported by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Awami National Party (ANP), which were led by Altaf Hussain and Asfandyar Wali Khan. The government was also supported by the international community, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID), which were led by Henrietta Fore and Douglas Alexander.

Controversies

The election was marked by several controversies, including allegations of electoral fraud and vote rigging. The allegations were made by the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) and the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML-Q), which were led by Nawaz Sharif and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. The allegations were investigated by the Pakistan Electoral Commission and the Supreme Court of Pakistan, which were led by Qazi Muhammad Farooq and Abdul Hameed Dogar. The election was also marked by the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, which was condemned by the international community, including the United Nations and the European Union, which were represented by Ban Ki-moon and Jose Manuel Barroso. The assassination was investigated by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Interpol, which were led by Tariq Khosa and Ronald Noble. Category: Elections in Pakistan