The UK’s acting information minister is urging citizens to vote and hopes the polls will boost development and prosperity.
ISLAMABAD:
Voting for the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Legislative Assembly elections 2026 will begin on Sunday, with more than 958,000 registered voters expected to cast their votes in 24 constituencies.
Elections will take place from 8am to 5pm and 13 seats will be needed to form the next government in this strategically important region. It has started in 1,691 polling stations, with more than 7,500 electoral staff deployed. A total of 130 candidates from 24 political parties and 266 independent candidates will participate in the elections.
The GB Assembly comprises 33 seats, including 24 elected through direct elections, 6 reserved for women and 3 reserved for technocrats and professionals. Reserved seats are allocated to political parties based on proportional representation.
GB Acting Information Minister Ghulam Abbas said the elections had begun peacefully across the region, with large numbers of voters exercising their right to vote.
He said the caretaker government and the Election Commission had taken comprehensive security measures, with police, Rangers, Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts and Pakistan Army personnel deployed at sensitive locations.
Ghulam Abbas urged citizens to go out and vote and expressed hope that the electoral process will contribute to the continued development and prosperity of Britain.
Chief Election Commissioner
Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan visited several polling stations in Gilgit, accompanied by Provincial Election Commissioner Abid Raza, to review the electoral arrangements, security measures and overall electoral environment.
During visits to polling stations at Jutial Primary College and Khomar City Park, the chief election commissioner expressed satisfaction with the arrangements and directed polling staff and security personnel to ensure neutrality, transparency and smoothness of the voting process.
Election officials said voter turnout was steady, although long lines of male and female voters formed outside several polling stations. Some voters complained of delays and a slow electoral process. Raja Shahbaz Khan took note of the complaints and sought reports from the concerned officials.
The chief election commissioner also inspected the facilities available to voters and met election agents representing the candidates. According to the election officials, the electoral agents expressed their satisfaction with the peaceful atmosphere and the arrangement at the polling stations.
Read: 24 seats up for grabs as GB goes to the polls today
As part of his review of security preparations, Khan visited the Gilgit Safe City Control Centre, where he was briefed on security measures and monitoring arrangements. Officials informed him that election-related activities were being continuously monitored through a modern surveillance system.
The inspector general of police and other officials briefed the chief election commissioner about the security plan and special measures put in place for election day.
During the visit, Raja Shehbaz Khan said that all available resources were being utilized to ensure free, fair, peaceful and transparent elections. He also praised the performance of the district administration and law enforcement agencies and urged voters to fully participate in the democratic process while helping to maintain a peaceful environment.
Article 144
In Diamer district, authorities imposed Article 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for 60 days to maintain law and order. A notification issued by Deputy Commissioner Lieutenant (retd) Muhammad Owais banned public display of arms, aerial firing, use of firecrackers and unauthorized operation of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The order, which will take effect on June 5, requires prior approval from the district magistrate for drone operations. Law enforcement agencies have been exempted from the restrictions. Officials warned that strict legal action would be taken against violators.
Once the preparations for the elections were completed, a total of 551 polling stations out of 1,391 were declared highly sensitive, 349 were classified as sensitive and 488 fell into the normal category.
Security measures were taken at polling stations according to their category.
Of the 253 polling stations in Gilgit, 154 were declared highly sensitive, 48 as sensitive and 51 as normal. In Ghizer, out of 207 stations, 69 were declared highly sensitive, 52 sensitive and 83 normal.
Of the 85 polling stations in Nagar, 18 were declared highly sensitive, 39 sensitive and 28 normal, while 24 of the 88 polling stations in Hunza were classified as highly sensitive, 31 as sensitive and 33 as normal.
In Skardu, out of 208 polling stations, 69 were declared highly sensitive, 51 sensitive and 88 normal. Of the 71 polling stations in Shigar, 17 were declared highly sensitive, 23 sensitive and 31 normal, while in Kharmang, out of 43 polling stations, 21 were declared highly sensitive, 10 sensitive and 12 normal.
Similarly, of the 154 polling stations in Ghanche, 26 were classified as highly sensitive, 39 as sensitive and 89 as normal, while of the 108 polling stations in Astore, 34 were declared highly sensitive, 34 sensitive and 40 normal.
Finally, of Diamer’s 174 polling stations, 119 were declared highly sensitive, 22 sensitive and 33 normal.
Security
Security arrangements have been significantly improved across the region. Punjab Police personnel arrived in Gilgit-Baltistan to assist local authorities, including a deployment of 5,000 officers for election security duties.
Read more: Security tightened in Britain after Section 144 was imposed in Diamer ahead of elections
In Shigar district, 350 Punjab Police officers will work alongside local police and other law enforcement agencies.
Another 150 officers of the Islamabad Capital Territory Police, drawn from sensitive posts such as the President’s House, the Prime Minister’s House and the security detail of the Ministry of External Affairs, have also been assigned election duties and are scheduled to leave for Britain on Thursday and return on June 9.
Bell
The electoral campaign has taken place in a politically unequal environment. While the PPP maintained a sustained and highly visible presence in Gilgit-Baltistan, the PTI central leadership was largely absent from the election campaign. PTI leaders alleged that the party faced restrictions on holding rallies and public meetings, hampering its ability to campaign freely. Conditions tilted the electoral contest in favor of the traditional parties, particularly the PPP and the PML-N, which emerged as the dominant players in the campaign.
Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was among the most active leaders in the election campaign, widely covering the entire region. He had called for GB to be granted the same constitutional rights and powers available to provinces under the 18th Amendment, arguing that this is the only way for the people of the region to have genuine ownership of their resources.
The Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) was the newcomer on the political scene and launched its campaign in the region about 10 weeks before the elections. Taking advantage of the PTI’s reduced political space, the party managed to recruit several prominent political heavyweights and quickly establish a presence in the race.
Led by Federal Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, the IPP sought to attract voters with promises of infrastructure development, expressing confidence that its development-focused agenda would translate into assembly seats.
The PPP was also helped by discontent among sectors of the electorate with the PML-N-led government for its response to protests that turned deadly after the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader.
Political observers believe the situation allowed the PPP to shape much of the campaign narrative ahead of election day.
The PML-N had deployed senior leaders on the ground, with Rafique, Khurram Dastgir Khan and Abid Sher Ali leading protests in several districts. Federal Ministers Attaullah Tarar and Amir Muqam have also been actively involved in the journey. Party president Nawaz Sharif spoke at a rally earlier this week, promising infrastructure, aviation and energy projects for the region and promising to raise GB’s concerns with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, on the other hand, had alleged that it was operating under significant restrictions, with its election symbol removed and leaders such as Asad Qaiser allegedly prevented from traveling to the region. The president, lawyer Gohar Ali Khan, maintained that the party would continue its campaign despite these limitations.
