1985 Pakistani general election
General elections were held in Pakistan on 25 February 1985 to elect members of the National Assembly. 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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Politics of Pakistan |
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Pakistan portal
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Around 1,300 candidates contested the elections, which were held on a nonpartisan basis. Each candidate was required to have their nomination paper signed by 50 registered voters from the constituency they wished to stand in. 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.
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.