42% fresh faces enter parliament

ISLAMABAD: The current parliament will welcome a significant influx of fresh faces as 41% of new members will join the National Assembly for the first time, ushering in a wave of new ideas for legislation and state-building.

The 10th parliament showcases a remarkable turnover, with a staggering 60% of legislators from the previous assembly either failing to secure seats in the Feb 8 elections or opting out of the electoral race altogether.

Research conducted by the Hum Investigation Team reveals that 110 newly-elected members of the National Assembly are stepping into the lower house for the first time. Among these newcomers, 58 hail from Punjab, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa contributes 22 fresh faces to the legislative body.

Sindh sends forth 19 new parliamentarians (MNAs), while 11 representatives from Balochistan join the ranks of the National Assembly. Notably, 59 independent candidates, supported by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), secure seats in the lower house, alongside 12 members from MQM-Pakistan and seven independents.

Furthermore, the parliament witnesses the arrival of new voices from various political factions, including one representative each from JUI-F, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, Sunni Ittehad Council, and the IPP.

In a notable trend, close to 160 successful candidates in the recent elections were absent from the previous parliamentary session of 2018. Conversely, 110 members who secured seats in the 2018 elections lost their bids in the Feb 8, 2024 elections or chose not to participate.

The composition of the 2018 National Assembly included 102 members elected directly, while 37 women secured seats through specific quotas. Among the political affiliations, PTI accounted for 67 members, followed by 16 from PPP and 13 from Pakistan Muslim League-N.

Interestingly, six fathers and their sons in the current assembly also made a new history. A daughter and father also become members of the same parliament for the first time. Among them are Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif (but she vacated NA seat and retained Punjab Assembly seat), Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, Asif Zardari and his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Yousaf Raza Gilani and his two sons and Awais Leghari and his son Ammar Leghari..

Meanwhile, nearly 40% of previously directly elected parliamentarians either switch political allegiances, abstain from contesting, or opt for independent candidacy in the 2024 general elections, indicating a significant shift in the political arena.