GILGIT: Vote counting was under way late on Sunday after the polling process for Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Assembly concluded largely peacefully, during which a large number of voters braved biting cold weather to exercise their right to franchise amid allegations of rigging from the PPP and the PML-N.
According to the Election Commission Gilgit-Baltistan, 1,160 polling stations had been set up for 745,361 registered voters across the territory, in which 315 candidates from 23 constituencies (out of a total 24) took part. The process continued without any breaks from 8am to 5pm.
The GB Assembly comprises 33 seats. Of these, 24 are elected by popular vote, six are reserved for women and three for technocrats and professionals. The reserved seats are given to parties in proportion to the number of elected seats won.
Due to snowfall in the northern areas of district Astore, some areas of Baltistan division districts Hunza, Nagir and upper parts of district Gilgit and district Ghizer polling process had been delayed for some time but later began again.
As this paper went to press, counting was still under way but unofficial and provisional results reported by Geo News showed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ahead in nine constituencies and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in five; four were bagged by independent candidates while the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Islami Tehreek Pakistan (ITP) and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) were up in one each.
There were reports of a clash between PTI and PPP workers in Skardu, which was noted with concern by Caretaker GB Chief Minister Mir Afzal. He directed the police chief to take stern action and stressed a “peaceful election in Gilgit-Baltistan must serve as an example for the world”.
Meanwhile, politicians from the PPP and PML-N alleged rigging. In a tweet, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman said: “How are some form 45s [being] filled before polling closes! Let observers into the polling stations and GB Election Commission, act NOW! This is open, flagrant rigging.”
PML-N’s Khurram Dastgir also alleged rigging. In a tweet, he said long queues of voters in several polling stations in Skardu, while inside the “polling staff are sitting idle”.
PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz demanded of the election commission to make the vote counting process “transparent”. GB’s Chief Election Commission, Raja Shahbaz Khan, however rejected the rigging allegations. In an interview with a private television channel, he appealed to the public to avoid paying attention to rumours and speculation being raised by political parties. He made it clear that GB election was held in a “free and transparent manner”. “There was not a single incident of rigging reported in any parts of the area,” he insisted.
Federal government spokesman Shibli Faraz, meanwhile, said PTI’s victory in the GB elections with an overwhelming majority would be considered as a defeat of the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) narrative.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who had been campaigning for weeks in the lead up to the polls, had a more optimistic outlook: “The people’s enthusiasm is a testament to their commitment to democracy,” he tweeted. The PPP chairman also urged the election commission to “not fail them and ensure every vote is cast and counted”.
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