Well Spock, you want reference. Even though many of PML(Q) votes fell to independents as many PML(Q) were contesting election with each other as independents (I will give you reference to that too), still they got highest number of votes in Punjab. Here is reference of vote break down in each provinces …:
http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/p/pakistan/pakistan2008.txt
PUNJAB (from above):
Registered voters: 44,154,950
Valid votes: … 20,922,012
Party … Votes … % … Seats
MMA … 44,281
MQM … 16,982
PML(N) … 6,026,721 … 28.8 … 61
PML(Q) … 6,077,092 … 29.0 … 29
PPP … 5,943,504 … 28.4 … 43
Others … 2,813,432 … 13.4 … 14
If you want to know how PML(Q) votes are unaccounted, check NA57 results: On this constituency, two PML(Q) candidates contested election with each other as independent and PML(N) got the seats (votes of all 3 are close to each other).
http://www2.ecp.gov.pk/vsite/ElectionResult/Search.aspx?constituency=NA&constituencyid=NA-57
Sh Aftab Ahmed (PML-N) : 38755 votes [Won by 362 votes]
Maik Aslam (ind): 38392 votes
Eman Wasim (ind): 33975 votes
Azmat Ali Bukhari (PPP): 13554 votes
Malik Wasim (Ind): had PML-Q ticket for this constituency but contested as ind in protest. Was PML-Q cabinet minister in Shaukat Aziz cabinet].
Eman Wasim (Ind): is Shujaat Hussain neice. She resigned from her seat in Attock for Shaukat Aziz. She contested independent but had support of Ch Shujaat Hussain - President of PML-Q.
So, even though PML(Q) total was 72367 votes, these votes are not even accounted as PML-Q votes in above total, as both their candidates contested as Independent, whereas PML(N) won the seats securing only 38755 votes (won by 362 votes).
[If you do not believe me, try to find that out yourself. But then, this happened a lot during 2008 election. For instance, Wottoo had his own party PML(Jinnah) and he joined his party with PML-Q, became Senior VP of PML-Q and still he is SVP of PML-Q, but contested election as Independent … as he do not like Ch Shujaat as President of PML-Q, but is with President Musharraf].
I think that once PML-Q would sort out their leadership … or maybe in future President Musharraf may get into practical politics (I do not know if he would) as President of PML-Q, then PML-Q is certain to lead future Pakistan.
Note: Boycott of APDA did not mean votes were not cast as total turnout (49 percent) was more than last election when I believe turnout was around 45 percent. Actually, in this constituency, PML(N) got votes of all parties in APDA including JI and TI.