GILGIT: The people of Gilgit-Baltistan will vote in the general elections for the GB Legislative Assembly on Sunday after the polls were delayed by four months due to harsh winter weather.

The PPP and other political parties have staged a series of rallies across the region and ramped up efforts to garner support ahead of the polls.

All arrangements have been finalised, with elections to be contested in 24 constituencies. According to the GB Election Commission, there are 958,480 registered voters in the region, including 503,772 male and 454,708 female voters.

A total of 396 candidates are contesting the elections, with 266 running as independents. Only eight women are contesting the elections, five of them as independent candidates.

Meanwhile, 23 candidates from the PPP are contesting the elections, while the PML-N has fielded 22 candidates. Both parties have nominated one female candidate each. Additionally, 15 candidates from the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) and 10 from the PTI are in the fray.

Moreover, 10 candidates are contesting on the tickets of the Pakistan Nazaryati Party, while nine belong to the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), seven to the Majlis-i-Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM), and six each to the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). Four candidates are representing the Awami Workers Party (AWP), while one candidate each from the Awami National Party (ANP), Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) and the PML-Q is also in the race

The polling will run from 8am to 5pm on Sunday.

GB Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan has issued a notification delegating the powers of a first-class magistrate to all district returning officers and returning officers to ensure the peaceful, transparent and lawful conduct of the elections.

According to the notification, Khan said that the strict implementation of election laws, adherence to the election code of conduct and transparency in the electoral process would be ensured at all costs so that free, fair and impartial elections could be held while upholding the trust of the people.

In a statement, GB Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ghulam Abbas appealed to the people to actively participate in the electoral process and exercise their right to vote, saying that the vote is the voice of every citizen, the foundation of the democratic system and a national duty.

He said that elections are an important pillar of any democratic society and that active participation of the people is key to strengthening democratic traditions.

The caretaker minister added that the people of GB have always shown maturity and responsibility in national affairs, and expressed hope that they would turn up at polling stations in large numbers on election day.

He emphasised that every vote matters and plays a key role in the development, prosperity and future of the region. He urged the people to rise above any pressure, fear or bias and exercise their vote according to their free will.

Abbas further said that all relevant institutions were fulfilling their responsibilities to ensure peaceful, transparent and fair elections, urging the people to abide by the election code of conduct, cooperate with law enforcement agencies and play their positive role in making the democratic process successful.

He said that for a strong, stable and developed Gilgit-Baltistan, it was essential that every eligible voter exercise their right to vote and contribute to the further strengthening of the democratic process.

GILGIT: Seven people went missing after a tourist jeep on its way to Fairy Meadows in the Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan fell into a ravine and was swept away in Tattu Nullah on Monday.

According to the spokesperson for the GB police, the accident occurred at around 3pm on Tattu Raikot Road.

According to initial reports, all six tourists in the vehicle, as well as its driver, are still missing.

The spokesperson said that two tourists in the jeep were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and four from Punjab. The driver was identified as a resident of Diamer’s Dareel area.

The spokesperson added that police and rescue teams were present at the scene and a rescue operation was underway to search for the missing persons.

Fatal accidents are common on roads in the mountainous regions of the country due to traffic rule violations, treacherous terrain and poor infrastructure.

Last month, a tragic road accident in Neelum Valley claimed the lives of four people, including two women, and left two others injured after a passenger jeep plunged hundreds of feet into a rocky streambed.

In April, a jeep carrying five passengers from Barum Kagh Kosht to Booni skidded off a wet, slippery road and plunged into a deep ravine in KP’s Upper Chitral, killing three people and injuring two others.

In March, a tourists’ van collided with a truck on the Hazara Motorway, killing one passenger and injuring 13.

GILGIT: The PPP is all set to form a government in Gilgit-Baltistan after it gained 11 out of 24 seats in the Gilgit-Baltistan Legi­slative Assembly, according to unofficial results (Forms-47) of the June 7 elections.

As per Forms-47 issued by returning officers from 24 constituencies, the PPP bagged 11 seats, with the PML-N trailing with six seats. The candidates backed by the PTI won two seats, and its ally MWM was victorious in one seat. The independent candidates secured four seats.

In a post on X in the early hours of Monday, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari declared victory, saying the PPP had become the “single largest party” in the region.

“The Pakistan Peoples Party is emerging as the single largest party and we will be attempting to form government. I am grateful to the people for their trust and congratulations to Jiyalas on their victory,” said Bhutto-Zardari, whose party had alleged rigging during the polling.

Recount ordered

On Monday, the Elec­tion Commission of Gilgit-Baltistan ordered a reco­unt in two constituencies and re-polling in a few polling stations in GBA-16, Diamer.

The recount order came after independent candidate Safdar Ali Shirazi and PPP candidate Nazir Ahmed Advocate formally requested a recount of votes in GBA-20 (Ghizer-II), alleging irregularities during the counting process.

Acting on the request, the returning officer ordered a recount, which is scheduled to take place today. The commission also ordered a recount in GBA-3, Gilgit.

The Election Commission also ordered a re-poll at three polling stations in GBA-16 (Diamer-II).

Victorious candidates

PPP regional president Amjad Hussain won from GBA-1 (Gilgit), while former chief minister Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman of PML-N won from GBA-2 (Gilgit). PTI-backed independent Sohail Abbas won from GBA-3 (Gilgit).

In Hunza, PTI-backed independent Naik Nam Karim won from GBA-6. In Nagar, Muhammad Ali Akhtar of PPP won from GBA-4 and Zulfiqar Ali Murad of PPP won from GBA-5.

In Skardu, Syed Tauqeer Mehdi of PPP won from GBA-7, Fida Muhammad Nashad of PPP from GBA-9, Nasir Ali Khan of PPP from GBA-10, and Mohammad Kazim Mesum of MWM from GBA-8.

In Kharmang district, Iqbal Hassan of PPP won from GBA-11. In Shigar district, Imran Nadeem of PPP won from GBA-12. In Astore district, Rana Farman Ali and Rana Muhammad Farooq won from GBA-13 and GBA-14, respectively.

In Diamer, Kifayatur Rehman of PML-N won from GBA-18, independent candidate Dilpazir Khan won from GBA-15, Ataullah of PPP from GBA-16, and Mohammad Naseem of PPP from GBA-17. In Ghizer, Syed Jalal of PPP won from GBA-19, Abdul Jahan of PML-N won from GBA-20, and independent candidate Aman Ali won from GBA-21 (Yasin).

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2026

GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission has directed that the results of the June 7 election must not be consolidated until re-polling in five constituencies is complete, it emerged on Tuesday.

In a circular to the returning officers concerned, dated June 8 and available with Dawn, the GB Election Commission noted that it had ordered re-polling at certain polling stations in their respective constituencies — Skardu-II (GBA-8), Astore-I (GBA-13), Diamer-I (GBA-15), Diamer-II (GBA-16), and Diamer-III (GBA-17).

The Election Commission observed that the “process of consolidation of results under the relevant provisions of the Elections Act, 2017 and Elections Rules, 2017 shall be completed only after inclusion of the results of the re-polled polling stations in the constituency-wise result”.

The commission told the ROs not to “open, scrutinise or count the postal ballots and not to finalise, consolidate, announce or issue the final result of your respective constituency until the completion of re-polling at the polling stations specified”.

In a statement, GB Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Raja Shahbaz Khan said re-polling would be held at 26 polling stations in five constituencies on June 15.

According to the CEC, the polling stations included 10 in Skardu-II (GBA-8), one in Astore-I (GBA-13), one in Diamer-I (GBA-15), three in Diamer-II (GBA-16), and 11 in Diamer-III (GBA-17).

A day earlier, the GB Elec­tion Commission had ordered a reco­unt in two other constituencies and some polling stations.

One recount order came after independent candidate Safdar Ali Shirazi and PPP candidate Nazir Ahmed Advocate formally requested a recount of votes in Ghizer-II (GBA-20), alleging irregularities during the counting process.

The recount was scheduled to take place today. The commission also ordered a recount in Gilgit-III (GBA-3).

So far, the PPP remains in the lead after it gained 11 out of 24 seats in the Legi­slative Assembly, according to unofficial results (Forms-47) of the June 7 elections.