Nearly One Million Voters to Elect GB Assembly Members Today
GILGIT
Faheem Akhtar
Polling for 24 constituencies of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly will be held on Sunday (June 7), with nearly one million registered voters set to elect their representatives.
Election authorities have finalized arrangements for what will be the fourth general election in Gilgit-Baltistan since the region was granted a provincial-style governance framework under the 2009 Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order.
According to the Chief Election Commissioner of Gilgit-Baltistan, polling will take place at 1,391 polling stations across the region. Of these, 551 have been declared highly sensitive and 488 sensitive due to security concerns.
A comprehensive security plan has been put in place for the polls. Personnel from Gilgit-Baltistan Police, Punjab Police, Rangers and other security agencies have been deployed to ensure peaceful voting.
Official figures show Gilgit district has the highest number of highly sensitive polling stations, with 154 out of 253 stations falling in that category. Skardu and Ghizer districts have also been identified as security-sensitive areas, with 208 and 207 polling stations respectively requiring enhanced security measures.
Authorities said bomb disposal squads would inspect all polling stations before voting begins. Police have been empowered to take immediate action against any attempt to incite sectarian tensions or disrupt law and order.
The administration has also imposed a ban on aerial firing, public display of weapons and firing incidents during the election period.
The election follows the completion of the five-year constitutional term of the previous assembly in November 2025. Although elections were initially scheduled earlier, polling was delayed because of adverse weather conditions in parts of the region.
Historically, Gilgit-Baltistan’s electoral trend has closely mirrored the political party in power at the federal level. The Pakistan Peoples Party formed the regional government after the 2009 elections, followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in 2015 and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in 2020.
For the upcoming polls, the Pakistan Peoples Party has fielded candidates in 23 constituencies, while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is contesting 22 seats. The Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party has nominated 15 candidates. PTI-backed candidates are contesting the election as independents after the party lost its election symbol.
Election officials have expressed confidence that all arrangements are in place for peaceful and transparent polling across Gilgit-Baltistan.
