PML-N likely to emerge as single largest party: Survey

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) will likely emerge as the single largest party and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as a distant second followed by the Pakistan Tehrike-insaf (PTI) and other parties, according to an assessment report by a government organisation, said a report.

The analysis has been carried out on the basis of information collected from police sources, revenue department, labour unions and interviews with professionals in different fields, the report said quoting an unnamed official.

The assessment, he explained, has been carried out at the police station and union council level. The surveys have been conducted in a scientific manner in order to remove the possibility of miscalculation, he said.

Although the surveys have laid out an optimistic projection of the PMLN with regard to its approval rate, which has registered a rise since the return of Nawaz Sharif from abroad, none has offered an assessment in terms of seats the party would likely win.

The international media has also projected Nawaz Sharif as the future prime minister but it remains unclear if he would be able to obtain a simple majority.

However, the report said that going by this official assessment, the PML-N is likely to win between 115 and 132 National Assembly seats. Adding together, the reserved seats of women and minority would mean the party stands a chance to form its government single-handedly with simple majority if the official assessment turns out to be correct. As for the provincial assembly seats, the assessment puts them around 190, out of 297 meaning thereby absolute majority in the Punjab Assembly.

According to the official, the party may sweep in Punjab except in a few districts. While the PML-N will likely form the government by a two-thirds majority in the biggest province, the official projections suggest, it would be able to become a lead player in making coalition governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan whereas the PPP is likely to have its government in Sindh alone.