ISLAMABAD: Almost 57 percent parliamentarians who were part of previous National Assembly (2013-18) would not be able to represent their constituencies in upcoming Parliament (2018-2023).
As many as 192 MNAs either did not contest this general elections or have lost the battle to reach the Lower House of Parliament on July 25.
Some 79 such ex-MNAs hail from the Punjab, 33 from Sindh, 28 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 14 from Balochistan and one such MNA Tariq Fazl Chaudhry was elected from the federal capital in 2013.
Some 109 former MNAs belonged to previously ruling party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), according to an investigation conducted by Geo News. It is further revealed that about 19 such ex-parliamentarians belonged to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in Parliament. Now they would also not be part of this current National Assembly. As many as 14 such MNAs of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) either did not contest general elections or have been defeated by opponents who kept them away from Parliament this time.
As many as 12 MNAs who had affiliation with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have either lost the elections or even did not file their nomination papers for the contest after party refused tickets to them this year. Geo News’s investigation continued to reveal that some 11 MNAs of the Jammiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) could not get party tickets this time so they would not be the part of the Lower House. Similarly, some 10 independent candidates (ex-MNAs) could not make their way to Parliament this time. Four ex-MNAs of each from the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Pakhtunkhawa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) who either lost 2018 elections or left their party after leadership did not nominate them even on reserved seats.
Three MNAs who won 2013 elections on the tickets of Pakistan Muslim League- Functional (PML-F) would also not part of upcoming National Assembly. Two ex-MNAs had affiliation with the National Party and one each was from All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), Awami Raj Party (ARP), Awami National Party (ANP) and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) who failed to make their way to the Lower House of Parliament this time. As many as 37 such ex-MNAs who either represented their parties on seats reserved for women and minority communities were not nominated by their parties this time. PML-N top leadership did not nominate 24 women this time who were representing the party in previous Parliament.
Some 29 previously elected MNAs of PML-N also did not contest elections this year, five ex-MNAs were declared disqualified by the courts and rest of the members of Parliament of PML-N lost the battle this time. Among known faces who are this time out of Parliament -- JUI-F Chief Fazlur Rehman, PkMAP President Mehmood Khan Achakzai, ANP chief Asfandyar Wali, Awais Leghari, ex-premiers Nawaz Sharif and Yusuf Raza Gilani, Javed Hashmi, Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa, MQM leader Farooq Sattar, QWP chief Aftab Sherpao, Chaudhry Nisar Ali, Faisal Saleh Hayat, Jahangir Tareen, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Daniyal Aziz, JI Ameer Sirajul Haq and this long list goes on.
Meanwhile, nearly 43 percent (115 of 272) of the previously directly elected parliamentarians either changed their political loyalties or did not contest or are testing their fate as independents in 2018 general election. Some 54 percent (61 of 115) of those who won 2013 general polls on PML-N ticket either quit the party or contested as independent aspirants or dropped out from the race in this year’s general elections, according to investigation conducted by Geo News based on data obtained from multiple government offices directly dealing with the election preparations. Moreover, 12 percent (14 of 115) directly elected MNAs of previous Parliament either parted their ways with the PPP or not contested at all or decided to run as independents. While, 10 percent, 12 of the 115 directly elected lawmakers of previous Parliament, either left the MQM-P or did not participate in these elections. Only 5 percent of these have bid farewell to the PTI. Over 48 percent (55 of 115) of the directly elected ex-MNAs belonged to Punjab, 25 percent to Sindh, 11 percent (13 of 115) the KP, 80 percent (12 of total 15) to Balochistan and 64 percent (7 out of total 11) either flipped loyalties or did not contest election in the tribal belt.
