Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan Prepares for Key Regional Elections
Election authorities reported that 396 candidates are contesting 24 directly elected seats in the Legislative Assembly. Of those, 266 are running as independents, while 130 represent various national, regional, and religious political groups.
The assembly consists of 33 seats overall, including nine reserved positions assigned to women and political nominees through a proportional representation system.
Polling is set to begin at 8 a.m. local time and conclude at 5 p.m.
More than 963,000 registered voters are eligible to participate in the vote.
The election is expected to be highly competitive, with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, facing challenges from the center-left Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), founded by the late former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, as well as independent candidates supported by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
PTI-backed candidates are contesting as independents after the party was unable to secure an election symbol for the regional polls, similar to the situation during the 2024 general elections. The party has alleged that authorities failed to provide a "level playing field" for its candidates, while the government has rejected those claims.
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