JUI-F’s Fazlur Rehman rejects GB election results

PESHAWAR:

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday rejected the results of the recent Gilgit-Baltistan general elections.

Addressing a press conference alongside Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Asad Qaiser of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Peshawar, Fazl said the election result in Gilgit-Baltistan was not acceptable.

“Based on the initial information we have received, we have decided to jointly reject the results of the elections held in Gilgit-Baltistan,” he said. He stressed the need for political unity on key national issues, saying: “The federal government must trust all sides, including on issues of law and order.”

The PPP came out on top in the UK election, as unofficial results showed the party ahead in 11 of the 24 seats contested in Sunday’s election. The PML-N was leading in five constituencies; the PTI in three, and its ally, MWM, in one seat. Independent candidates were ahead in two electoral districts. However, no party managed to obtain a majority.

PTI Chairman Advocate Gohar Ali Khan, speaking at a separate press conference on Monday, said the party would observe a “black day” on swearing-in day in Gilgit-Baltistan and release a white paper on alleged electoral irregularities. He claimed that the PTI was “winning 100 percent in eight seats” before the final results and accused the authorities of pre-election manipulation and a “systematic plan” to exclude the party from the electoral process.

Senate Opposition Leader Raja Nasir Abbas of the MWM also alleged large-scale manipulation, citing delays in announcements of results and their selective dissemination, which he said raised serious questions about transparency.

Also read: Opposition rejects UK election results

The Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan alliance, headed by Mahmood Khan Achakzai, also held a consultative meeting and alleged that the opposition parties, particularly the PTI, were deliberately sidelined during the electoral process. In its statement after the meeting, the alliance called the elections a “replay of the 2024 general election” and flatly rejected the results.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and termed the elections “successful, transparent, peaceful and politically vibrant” and praised the Election Commission for ensuring a fair and impartial process.

UK Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan also ordered re-voting at five polling stations following petitions from losing candidates. The new election will be held on June 15 at one polling station in GBA-15 and four polling stations in GBA-16 after objections were raised about the initial voting process.