The counting of votes was underway after polling concluded for elections in 24 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly constituencies amid tight security.
The polling process began at 8am and continued till 5pm without any break on Sunday.
A total of 403 candidates took part in the elections, including 396 men and 8 women. The total number of registered voters in the region was 963,034, including 566,097 male and 396,937 female voters.
As voting began, Gilgit Baltistan Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz visited various polling stations to review the voting process. He inspected arrangements and monitored the conduct of voting at different stations.
Speaking to the media after the polling process, Raja Shahbaz said that polling was completed peacefully, with a notably high turnout among women voters.
The chief election commissioner said he personally visited polling stations to monitor the voting process and assess arrangements on the ground.
“I myself visited polling stations,” Raja Shahbaz said, adding that polling staff and security personnel performed their duties effectively.
He said the overall law and order situation remained satisfactory throughout the polling process. “The election process has been completed in a peaceful environment,” he said.
PPP raises concerns over 'non-issuance of Form-45'
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders have raised concerns over delays in the issuance of Form-45 during the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections.
PPP Parliamentarians Secretary General Nayyer Hussain Bukhari said that Form-45 was not being provided and claimed that party representatives were being asked to leave polling areas.
Bukhari said he had contacted the GB CEC and informed him about the situation. He also stated that the elections were held in a peaceful environment and urged that the situation should not be allowed to deteriorate further, calling on the Election Commission to immediately play its role.
Separately, PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said that he had spoken to the election commissioner regarding the issuance of Form-45. He stated that the results given by the public should be reflected accurately, urging party workers to remain peaceful at polling stations.
Kaira further said the elections should not be made controversial and instructed workers not to leave polling stations without receiving Form-45.
Key parties, candidates in the race
The Election Commission had established 1,391 polling stations across all districts of Gilgit-Baltistan. Of these, 488 were classified as normal, 349 as sensitive and 551 as highly sensitive.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has fielded the highest number of candidates, with 23 contesting the elections, followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 22 and 19 independents backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) has fielded 15 candidates, the Pakistan Nazriyati Party (PNP) 11, while Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Islami Tehreek Pakistan (ITP) have fielded nine candidates each.
The Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) has nominated seven candidates, while Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) have fielded six candidates each. The Awami Workers Party (AWP) has fielded four candidates.
Security arrangements
Authorities said foolproof security arrangements were put in place for the elections. Personnel from the local police, Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts, and contingents from Punjab and Sindh police have been deployed to perform security duties at polling stations and other key locations.
