On May 18, 2025, the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) released a report titled “Assessing the Web Presence of Political Parties in Pakistan,” which revealed that 65% of the 166 registered political parties in the country lack fully functional websites.
FAFEN reported that only 58 parties (35%) maintain operational sites, with just 14 of the 20 parties represented in Parliament or Provincial Assemblies (70%) having functional websites.
Section 208(4) of the Elections Act, 2017, mandates parties to publish updated lists of central office bearers and executive committee members online. However, only 40 of the 58 parties with websites (69%) list office bearers, and just six (10%) include executive committee members, per FAFEN. This non-compliance hinders transparency, a critical issue amid Pakistan’s growing digital engagement.
FAFEN’s assessment found parties with parliamentary representation, like Jamaat-e-Islami (JI, scoring 18/30 for content richness) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI, 15/30, though blocked in Pakistan), offer more robust websites. Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP, 12/30) and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N, 11/30) followed. Non-parliamentary Pakistan Tehreek Shadbad scored highest at 13/30. Aims and objectives (88%), contact details (83%), and social media links (79%) were common, but financial transparency was notably absent, per FAFEN.
Despite many parties having active social media profiles, these cannot replace websites because they are algorithm-driven and temporary. According to FAFEN, structured information, such as party constitutions required by Section 201(1)(a), is more suitable for websites.
The report emphasises the importance of political parties improving their digital infrastructure to meet legal requirements and public expectations. This is particularly relevant given the access issues highlighted by the PTI’s blocked website. As Pakistan’s digital landscape continues to develop, robust websites are essential for ensuring transparency and fostering voter engagement.
