Voting for the Gilgit Baltistan Legislative Assembly constituency GBLA-13 Astore-1 began at 8 AM on Saturday and is scheduled to continue until 5 PM without any interruptions.
This election was necessitated by the disqualification of former Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid due to a fake degree case. A total of 14 candidates are vying for the vacant seat, with nine running as independent candidates.
The prominent contenders in the Gilgit Baltistan Legislative Assembly constituency, GBLA-13 Astore, include Khursheed Ahmed Khan representing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Rana Farman Ali from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and Abdul Hameed Khan of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). Additionally, Inayatullah Mir is contesting under the banner of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), and Attaullah is a candidate for Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan.
The constituency has a total of 33,378 registered voters, consisting of 18,231 male voters and 15,147 female voters. Stringent security measures have been put in place, with 363 officials deployed to ensure the smooth conduct of the election and address any potential disturbances.
Astore district, with a population exceeding 100,000, primarily relies on agriculture and trade as its main sources of livelihood.
