The National Assembly of Pakistan has 70 reserved seats, with 60 reserved for women and 10 for non-Muslim minorities. Unlike regular seats, members of these reserved seats are not directly elected by the public. Instead, political parties receive these seats based on a proportional distribution formula.
This formula, outlined in the Election Rules of 2017, states that reserved seats should be divided among political parties according to their percentage share of the general seats won through popular vote. Only officially recognized political parties are eligible for this allocation, and the party leaders decide who fills these reserved seats.
Contrary to a common misconception, the allocation is not based on a fixed ratio of general seats. For instance, in the 2018 elections, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) received 33 reserved seats for its 116 general seats, while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) got 20 reserved seats for its 64 general seats. The formula also considers the number and strength of political parties, affecting the “per centum” share required to win reserved seats for women.
In summary, the distribution of reserved seats in Pakistan’s National Assembly is determined by a proportional formula among political parties, ensuring representation for women and non-Muslim minorities based on their electoral performance.
In other words, political parties will be awarded reserved seats based on their “per centum share” or the proportion of general seats, while the number of independent candidates won’t be taken into account as the ECP calculates the share.
This means that PTI rivals will secure a higher number of reserved seats if PTI-backed candidates fail to join another political party or gain ECP recognition as a single group.
