The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz issued final list of the party’s candidates for the National Assembly on Sunday. The list has revealed that the party has decided to leave 53 seats vacant across Pakistan.

The final list was posted by former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on his X account containing constituencies and names of candidates.

“Good luck and loads prayers for victory,” he wrote.

However, the list revealed that the party has not fielded candidates in 53 out of the 266 constituencies of the National Assembly.

NA-4, NA-12, NA-19, NA-20, NA-21, NA-22, NA-28, NA-44, NA-45, NA-48, NA-54, NA-64, NA-88, NA-92, NA-117, NA-128, NA-143, NA-149, NA-165, NA-185, NA-190, NA-191, NA-192, NA-193, NA-194, NA-195, NA-196, NA-197, NA-198, NA-199, NA-200, NA-201, NA-202, NA-203, NA-204, NA-206, NA-207, NA-208, NA-209, NA-210, NA-212, NA-214, NA-215, NA-217, NA-218, NA-221, NA-222, NA-223, NA-224, NA-228, NA-245, NA-248, NA-264

PMLN has been vying for electoral alliances with parties across Pakistan including Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party in Punjab, Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Muttahid Qaumi Movement in Sindh.

Read: PTI announces award of party tickets, but leaves many seats vacant

The seat-adjustment agreements will probably account for many of the seats left out of the party’s final list.

The seats left vacant

PMLN has left constituencies vacant in Malakand (NA-12), Peshawar (NA-28), and Dera Ismail Khan (NA-44 and 45) presumably as part of a seat-adjustment formula with the JUI-F. Seats have also been left empty in Swabi and Charsadda.

The party has also left an open field in Islamabad’s NA-54 and NA-48. Another seat has been left vacant in Gujrat, presumably in for the PML-Q.

In Lahore, the party has not fielded candidates in NA-117 and NA-128 where the party has reached a seat-adjustment formula with Istehkam-e-Pakistan party.

Apart from Ghotki, Sukkur and one constituency in Khairpur, the party has mostly kept out of the electoral race in Sindh. The party has also kept away from Larkana’s two seats in what could be called an unofficial seat adjustiment with the PPP.

In Karachi, the party has not put out candidates NA-239 (south), NA-245 (west) as well as NA-248. The party has reportedly reached an agreement with the MQM in these constituencies.