Pakistani general elections, 1997

Pakistan General election, 1997

← 1993 February 3, 1997 (1997-02-03) 2002 →
207 of 237 seats in National Assembly 104 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Turnout	36.0% 4.3%
First party Second party   Leader Nawaz Sharif Benazir Bhutto Party PML (N) PPP Leader since 6 October 1993 10 January 1984 Leader's seat Lahore Larkana Seats before 73 89 Seats after 137 18 Seat change 64 71 Popular vote 8,751,793 4,152,209 Percentage 45.9% 21.8% Swing 6.0% 16.1%
Prime Minister before election Benazir Bhutto PPP Elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif PML (N)

Benazir Bhutto
PPP

Nawaz Sharif
PML (N)

General elections were held in Pakistan on 3 February 1997 to elect the National Assembly of Pakistan and the four provincial assemblies. The election featured a fierce contest between ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led by incumbent Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and the PML(N) led by conservative leader Nawaz Sharif. Nawaz Sharif was highly benefited and aided by the controversial death of populist leader Murtaza Bhutto, the worsening economy at home, and won the election in a landslide, receiving the highest number of votes ever won by a nonincumbent prime ministerial candidate. Sharif subsequently became the 12th prime minister of Pakistan.

The election took place after the previous Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government of Benazir Bhutto was dismissed by President Farooq Leghari for concerning matters of national security. Benazir Bhutto's government suffered with financial mismanagement, corruption charges, racial tensions in her native province, issues with Supreme court, the serious violation of the constitution, and leaders in PPP, notably Murtaza Bhutto, who were determined to end Asif Ali Zardari's involvement in government affairs.

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