Party Politics in Pakistan Election 1997: The new Calculus of Pakistani Politics and Rise of the PML-N

Abstract

In 1996, after the termination of Benazir Bhutto government by President Farooq Leghari, the new elections held in February 03, 1997. Several major and minor political parties participated in those elections including PPP and PML-N. Before the commencement of elections more than five dozen political parties nominated their candidates to get elections but the real match was played between the same rival political parties, PML-N and PPP. The results of elections were very stunning and poles apart from the previous ones. Surprisingly, PML-N secured 134 seats in National Assembly against 18 seats of PPP and made its government in the Centre. The provincial results were also not different from Federal Assembly’s results and PML-N made their governments in all four provinces too. It was first example in the political history of Pakistan that a political party individually, obtained such huge numbers of seats in National Assembly and formed its administrations in all four provinces. The remarkable triumph of newly established PML-N in elections was specifying its popularity in the masses against the senior and experience PPP. Now the questions arose that why voters changed their mindset and voted newly born PML-N against senior PPP? What were the reasons that the PPP, the winner of two times elections could not maintain its popularity in the masses? What were the political maneuverings and strategies adopted by PML-N to attracted the common voters. The answer of the questions is real topic of this research article.