Elections in Pakistan are rarely straightforward affairs. Losing parties seldom concede gracefully, allegations are often raised before official results are finalised, and electoral inconsistencies are not uncommon, particularly in remote polling stations where logistics, monitoring and communication remain difficult. It was hoped, however, that the Gilgit-Baltistan election would prove different. Given the importance of the region’s mandate, and the fact that no elections were being held elsewhere in the country, there was every reason to expect a focused, orderly and relatively clean process. Instead, the usual questions have risen once again, and the Election Commission must take responsibility for allowing doubts to gather around the exercise.
The protests now blocking the Karakoram Highway in Diamer and other areas are a serious warning. The delay in official results, the order for re-polling in some constituencies, the withdrawal of that order in Skardu-II, and the suspension of Form 48 in Skardu-III have all created confusion at a time when clarity was most needed. In GBA-16 Diamer-II, protesters are demanding the counting of postal ballots and the announcement of results without fresh polling at three stations. The Election Commission may have legal grounds for inquiry or re-polling where credible irregularities exist. But such decisions must be transparent, timely and clearly explained. When orders are issued, withdrawn or suspended without sufficient public confidence, they feed precisely the perception that electoral bodies are supposed to prevent.
The closure of the Karakoram Highway has added another layer of public hardship, stranding travellers and disrupting movement between Gilgit-Baltistan and the rest of the country. This cannot be allowed to continue. The government and the Election Commission must now move quickly to resolve the matter. Postal ballots must be counted where required, recounts conducted where ordered, inquiries completed without delay, and final results announced transparently. The people of Gilgit-Baltistan must be allowed to see their mandate exercised in truth.
