Gilgit-Baltistan votes to elect new regional government

Voting is underway across Gilgit-Baltistan as citizens cast their ballots to elect representatives for 24 general seats of the regional

GILGIT: Voting is underway across Gilgit-Baltistan as citizens cast their ballots to elect representatives for 24 general seats of the regional legislative assembly.

The electoral process commenced at 8am on Sunday and is scheduled to run continuously until 5pm without any midday pause. The election will decide the future administration of the 33-member house, where a political party or an alliance must capture at least 17 seats to secure a majority.

Data released by the regional election commission indicates that more than 958,000 registered voters are eligible to participate, comprising 503,772 men and 454,708 women. A pool of 403 contestants, including 396 men and eight women, are vying for the legislative positions across the northern territory.

The Pakistan Peoples Party has filled the highest number of candidates at 23, closely followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz with 22 contenders. Other political entities in the running include the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party with 15 candidates, the Pakistan Muslim League with 11, and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl with 9.

The Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen has put forward 7 nominees, whilst Jamaat-e-Islami and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan have entered 6 candidates each. Independent candidates form the bulk of the ballot papers, with 266 individuals running without party backing.

The full legislature comprises 33 seats, where 24 are filled through direct public voting, alongside 6 seats reserved for women and 3 designated for technocrats.

To maintain public order and ensure transparency, authorities have deployed local police, the Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts, and 10,000 personnel from the Punjab Police. An additional 1,400 Punjab Police officers have been stationed in Islamabad to support federal security coordination during the polling process.

Security forces conducted visible flag marches across multiple towns on Saturday evening to discourage disruption at vulnerable polling stations. Electoral authorities confirmed that all necessary materials and staff reached the designated stations on schedule before the doors opened.

Voters are required to produce a valid Computerised National Identity Card at the desk to receive their official ballot papers.

The election commission has warned that any attempt to obstruct female voters from exercising their franchise will be met with immediate prosecution.

Geographically, Gilgit district holds the highest number of polling facilities at 253, with over half categorised as highly sensitive by security agencies. Skardu and Ghizer follow with more than 200 stations each, whilst Diamer district contains the highest density of high-risk stations, totaling 119 out of 174 sites.

The critical battleground areas remain Skardu and Diamer, as both districts contain four independent constituencies each.