National Assembly of Pakistan

The National Assembly of Pakistan is the lower house of the bicameralParliament of Pakistan, with the Senate being the upper house. It has a maximum membership of 336, of which 266 are directly elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past-the-post system to represent their respective constituencies, while 60 are proportionally elected on reserved seats for women and religious minorities from all over the country. Members of the National Assembly hold their seats for five years or until the house is dissolved by the president of Pakistan on the advice of the prime minister. The house convenes at the Parliament House in the Red Zone of Islamabad.

Established in 1956 upon promulgation of the first Pakistani constitution, the National Assembly succeeded the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan as the country's federal parliament — which remained unicameral until the formation of the Senate in 1973 under the current constitution. Initially existing as a directly-elected body, it became indirectly-elected under the Basic democracy system, introduced by Ayub Khan. It was restored to its original status of direct election in 1970.

Each assembly is formed for a five-year term, commencing from the date of its first meeting, after which it is automatically dissolved upon the term's completion. Following the passing of the eighteenth amendment, the National Assembly can only be prematurely dissolved by the president on the prime minister's advice. The 16th National Assembly is the latest to be elected in February 2024 and will continue till 2029 unless dissolved earlier.

The boundaries of the constituencies of the National Assembly are redrawn by the Election Commission of Pakistan after every national census, based on population. The last census was conducted in 2023 and the election in 2024 was based on it. All elections for the National Assembly are also conducted by the Election Commission of Pakistan.