{"id":2926,"date":"2026-06-07T07:57:06","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T07:57:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/?p=2926"},"modified":"2026-06-07T07:57:06","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T07:57:06","slug":"voting-underway-for-24-gilgit-baltistan-assembly-seats-as-voters-decide-regions-political-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/?p=2926","title":{"rendered":"Voting Underway for 24 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly Seats as Voters Decide Region\u2019s Political Future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Gilgit:<\/strong> Polling is underway across Gilgit-Baltistan as voters cast their ballots to elect members of the <strong>24-seat Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly<\/strong>, with the outcome expected to determine the region\u2019s next governing political force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Voting began amid tight security arrangements and is scheduled to continue <strong>without interruption until 5:00 p.m.<\/strong> Local residents turned out early at polling stations, reflecting significant public interest in the election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More Than 958,000 Registered Voters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the Election Commission, a total of <strong>958,480 registered voters<\/strong> are eligible to participate in the election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To facilitate voting, authorities have established <strong>1,391 polling stations<\/strong> across all districts of Gilgit-Baltistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Election officials have classified:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>349 polling stations as sensitive<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>551 polling stations as highly sensitive<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Special security measures have been implemented at these locations to ensure a peaceful electoral process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Over 400 Candidates in the Race<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than <strong>400 candidates<\/strong> are contesting the 24 assembly seats, representing a mix of major political parties and independent groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among the participating parties:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP): 23 candidates<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N): 22 candidates<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP): 15 candidates<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pakistan Muslim League (PML): 11 candidates<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F): 9 candidates<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM): 7 candidates<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Jamaat-e-Islami: 6 candidates<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM): 6 candidates<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition, <strong>266 independent candidates<\/strong> are contesting from various constituencies, making the election highly competitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Heavy Security Deployed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Authorities have put in place extensive security arrangements to maintain law and order during polling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Personnel from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Local police<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Punjab Police<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">have been deployed across the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Law enforcement agencies also conducted flag marches in several constituencies before polling day to reassure voters and demonstrate preparedness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officials say all necessary measures have been taken to ensure that voters can cast their ballots safely and freely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Constituencies to Watch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several constituencies are expected to witness closely contested races involving prominent political figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">GBA-1 Gilgit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A tough contest is anticipated among:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>PPP candidate <strong>Amjad Hussain<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PML-N candidate <strong>Shafiq-ud-Din<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>IPP candidate <strong>Sultan Raees<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Independent candidate <strong>Asif Usmani<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">GBA-2 Gilgit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another closely watched constituency features:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>PML-N\u2019s <strong>Hafeez Hafeezur Rehman<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PPP\u2019s <strong>Jameel Ahmed<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>IPP\u2019s <strong>Fatehullah<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Independent candidate <strong>Atiq Pirzada<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">GBA-18 Diamer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Former Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister and IPP candidate <strong>Gulbar Khan<\/strong> is facing PML-N\u2019s <strong>Kifayat-ur-Rehman<\/strong> in what is expected to be one of the most significant contests of the election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">GBA-19 Ghizer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Important candidates include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Independent candidate <strong>Nawaz Khan Naji<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PPP candidate <strong>Jalal Shah<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PML-N candidate <strong>Zafar Muhammad<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">GBA-13 Astore<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The constituency is witnessing competition among:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Independent candidate <strong>Shahida Khurshid<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PML-N candidate <strong>Rana Farman Ali<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PPP candidate <strong>Fahad Hanif<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Political Stakes High<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The election is being viewed as a crucial political test for the major national parties seeking to strengthen their influence in the strategically important mountainous region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With a large number of independents in the race and several constituencies expected to produce close results, political observers believe coalition-building could play a significant role after the final results are announced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Results Expected After Polling Ends<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Polling will continue until <strong>5:00 p.m.<\/strong>, after which vote counting will begin at polling stations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Election authorities are expected to release preliminary results later in the evening, while official consolidated results may take additional time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The outcome will determine the composition of the next Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly and shape the region\u2019s political direction for the coming years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gilgit: Polling is underway across Gilgit-Baltistan as voters cast their ballots to elect members of the 24-seat Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, with the outcome expected to determine..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2927,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/paksouch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/435439_8546890_updates-1.jpg",700,400,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/paksouch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/435439_8546890_updates-1-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/paksouch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/435439_8546890_updates-1-300x171.jpg",300,171,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/paksouch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/435439_8546890_updates-1.jpg",700,400,false],"large":["https:\/\/paksouch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/435439_8546890_updates-1.jpg",700,400,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/paksouch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/435439_8546890_updates-1.jpg",700,400,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/paksouch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/435439_8546890_updates-1.jpg",700,400,false]},"author_info":{"info":["admin"]},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/?cat=3\" rel=\"category\">Pakistan<\/a>","tag_info":"Pakistan","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2926"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2926\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2928,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2926\/revisions\/2928"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paksouch.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}