Pakistani political parties

Pakistan is a multi-party democracy that at times has been subject to military government. The country has many political parties and it is common for the country to be ruled by a coalition government. The Parliament of Pakistan is bicameral, consisting of the National Assembly of Pakistan and the Senate. The main political parties in Pakistan are listed below in alphabetical order.

Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML Nawaz group, or PML-N) became Pakistan's ruling party after a decisive victory in the Pakistani general elections of 2013. It holds 26 out of 104 seats in the Senate and 190 seats in the National Assembly. Prime minister Nawaz Sharif has been its leader since 1980s. Sharif, a businessman from Lahore, entered the mainstream Pakistani politics with the support of the military dictatorship of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq and later in 1990, became prime minister of Pakistan with the assistance of powerful military establishment especially DG ISI General Hameed Gul. He and his party (PMLN) ruled the country for two different tenures in the '90s. His second government was overthrown by the army chief Pervez Musharaf in a military coup. Nawaz succeeded in saving his life and money with the diplomatic support of Saudi Arabia and left Pakistan for eight years. He came back in 2007. PMLN is a fiscally conservative party which holds moderate religious and social policies. It promotes strong and friendly relations with India, United States, and the European Union.

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