Polling for the general elections in Gilgit-Baltistan is being held today, June 7, amid tight police security. According to the final voters' lists from the Election Commission of Gilgit-Baltistan, the total number of voters across the region's 10 districts stands at 963,034, comprising 566,097 male and 456,937 female voters.
Candidate Overview
A total of 396 candidates are contesting for the 24 general seats of the Gilgit Assembly this time, including 266 independent candidates. Among the major political parties, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has fielded 23 candidates, while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has put forward 22 candidates. Both parties have nominated one female candidate each. Additionally, 15 candidates from the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) and 10 from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are in the race. Moreover, 10 candidates are contesting on tickets from the Pakistan Nazaryati Party, nine from Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), seven from Majlis-i-Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM), six each from Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), four from Awami Workers Party (AWP), and one each from Awami National Party (ANP), Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), and PML-Q.
Security Arrangements
According to the police chief, more than 17,500 policemen have been deployed across the region to maintain peace during the polling. The police have been ordered to implement strict security measures and take action against anyone found violating the code of conduct. A total of 1,391 polling stations have been established, of which 488 are categorized as normal, 349 as sensitive, and 551 as highly sensitive. District-wise, Gilgit has 253 polling stations (51 normal, 48 sensitive, 154 highly sensitive), and Ghizer has 207 polling stations (83 normal, 52 sensitive, 69 highly sensitive). Polling is scheduled from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Election Commission's Role
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Raja Shahbaz Khan has delegated powers of first-class magistrate to all District Returning Officers and Returning Officers to ensure peaceful and transparent conduct of the elections. These powers will remain in force until the official announcement of results. The CEC emphasized that free, fair, and impartial elections will be ensured at all costs. He urged voters to turn out in large numbers and exercise their democratic right responsibly, stating that all necessary arrangements have been made for peaceful, free, fair, and transparent elections across the region. He called on citizens to champion democracy through active electoral participation and make their voices heard through the ballot. He also appealed to the electorate to cooperate with election authorities and law enforcement agencies to maintain a peaceful and orderly environment on polling day.
The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly consists of 33 seats: 24 directly elected members, six seats reserved for women, and three seats reserved for technocrats.
