GILGIT – Polling for general elections in Gilgit -Baltistan is being held today amid tight police security.
According to the final voters’ lists of the Election Commission of Gilgit-Baltistan, the total number of voters in the 10 districts of the region is 963,034, including 566,097 male and 456,937 female voters.
A total of 396 candidates are in the fray for the 24 general seats of the Gilgit Assembly this time, including 266 independent candidates.
According to the police chief, more than 17,500 policemen are deployed across the region to maintain peace during the polling. The police are ordered to implement strict security and take action against anyone found violating the code of conduct.
The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly consists of a total thirty-three seats, including twenty-four directly elected members, six seats for women and three seats reserved for technocrats.
Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner Gilgit-Baltistan Raja Shahbaz Khan has delegated powers of first class magistrate to all District Returning Officers and Returning Officers for the peaceful and transparent conduct of the general elections.
According to the notification, these powers will remain in force till the official announcement of the election results. The Chief Election Commissioner said the conduct of free, fair and impartial elections will be ensured at all cost.
All preparations for the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly general elections scheduled for June 7 have been completed, with authorities putting in place stringent security measures to ensure the peaceful conduct of polling across the region.
According to the final classification list issued by the Election Commission, a total of 1,391 polling stations have been established across Gilgit-Baltistan. Of these 488 have been categorized as normal, 349 as sensitive, and 551 as highly sensitive.
District-wise data shows that Gilgit has 253 polling stations, including 51 normal, 48 sensitive and 154 highly sensitive stations. Ghizer has 207 polling stations, comprising 83 normal, 52 sensitive and 69 highly sensitive stations.
The polling will run from 8am to 5pm on Sunday (today). Meanwhile, 23 candidates from the PPP are contesting the elections, while the PML-N has fielded 22 candidates. Both parties have nominated one female candidate each. Additionally, 15 candidates from the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) and 10 from the PTI are in the fray.
Moreover, 10 candidates are contesting on the tickets of the Pakistan Nazaryati Party, while nine belong to the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), seven to the Majlis-i-Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM), and six each to the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). Four candidates are representing the Awami Workers Party (AWP), while one candidate each from the Awami National Party (ANP), Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) and the PML-Q is also in the race.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Raja Shahbaz Khan Saturday urged voters to turn out in large numbers, exercise their democratic right responsibly and play a constructive role in maintaining law and order, stating that all necessary arrangements had been put in place to ensure peaceful, free, fair and transparent elections across the region.
CEC Raja Shahbaz Khan called on citizens to champion democracy through active electoral participation and make their voice heard through the ballot in the elections scheduled for Sunday, June 7.
He urged voters to turn out in large numbers and exercise their constitutional right to vote, emphasizing that every vote plays a vital role in strengthening democratic institutions and shaping the future of the region.
He said public participation is the cornerstone of a vibrant democratic system and encouraged citizens to fulfill their civic responsibility with a sense of commitment and patriotism.
The CEC also appealed to the electorate to cooperate with election authorities and law enforcement agencies in maintaining a peaceful and orderly environment on polling day.
He stressed the importance of respecting the rule of law and democratic norms to ensure a smooth and transparent electoral process.
He also expressed confidence in the security arrangements made by the relevant authorities, saying comprehensive measures had been put in place to ensure the safety of voters, polling staff and election materials.
CEC expressed hope that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan would actively participate in the democratic process and contribute to the successful conduct of the polls.
