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1985 Pakistani general election
Elections for members of National Assembly of Pakistan / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
General elections were held in Pakistan on 25 February 1985 to elect members of the National Assembly.[1] The elections were held under the military government of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq after the restoration of the 1973 constitution.
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217 of the 237 seats in the National Assembly 109 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||
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Turnout | 53.70% | |||||||||||||||
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![]() Winning party by constituency | ||||||||||||||||
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Around 1,300 candidates contested the elections, which were held on a nonpartisan basis.[2] Each candidate was required to have their nomination paper signed by 50 registered voters from the constituency they wished to stand in.[3] In an attempt to disqualify a large number of opposition candidates and secure a conservative leadership, Zia-ul-Haq introduced amendments to the Political Parties Act of 1962. As a result, the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD), which was calling for an end to the military regime, boycotted the elections.[4]
Voter turnout was 54%. Most of the elected MNAs were supporters of the Zia regime. A new government was formed under the leadership of Muhammad Khan Junejo, a lesser known figure in national politics. Prime Minister Junejo and his followers subsequently established the pro-Zia conservative Pakistan Muslim League.