1985 Pakistani general election

General elections were held in Pakistan on 25 February 1985 to elect members of the National Assembly.^[1] The elections were held under the military government of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq after the restoration of the 1973 constitution.

1985 Pakistani general election

← 1977 25 February 1985 1988 →
217 of the 237 seats in the National Assembly 109 seats needed for a majority
Registered	32,528,996
Turnout	53.70% (0.98pp)
First party   Leader Muhammad Khan Junejo Party Independents Seats won 217 Percentage 100%
Results by constituency
Prime Minister before election None[a] Elected Prime Minister Muhammad Khan Junejo Independent

Around 1,300 candidates contested the elections, which were held on a nonpartisan basis.^[2] Each candidate was required to have their nomination paper signed by 50 registered voters from the constituency they wished to stand in.^[3] 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.^[4]

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.

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Independents	16,889,392	100.00	217
Seats reserved for women				20
Total		16,889,392	100.00	237
Valid votes		16,889,392	96.69
Invalid/blank votes		578,641	3.31
Total votes		17,468,033	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		32,528,996	53.70
Source: FAFEN

Aftermath

Following the elections, Muhammad Khan Junejo was appointed prime minister and later formed a new party, the Pakistan Muslim League. The election boycott was viewed to have been a misstep for the MRD, which had assumed the public would support its stance.^[4]