GILGIT: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Monday voiced concerns over the transparency of the Gilgit-Baltistan elections, citing delays in result announcements, issues related to Form-45 issuance and alleged attempts to alter electoral outcomes.
The controversy emerged as unofficial results from 18 of the 24 constituencies showed PPP leading with nine seats, followed by six independents, two seats for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and one for Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM). Vote counting continued in the remaining constituencies.
The Election Commission of Gilgit-Baltistan directed all returning officers to issue certified Form-45s and ensure compliance with electoral rules. The chief election commissioner stated that Form-45s were being issued at polling stations where vote counting had been completed.
PPP Secretary General Nayar Bukhari alleged that efforts were being made to manipulate results and delay announcements in constituencies where the party had secured victories. He warned of protests if attempts to alter the public mandate continued and called for the immediate release of all pending results.
PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira urged election authorities to ensure transparency and instructed party workers to obtain Form-45s before leaving polling stations.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan questioned the fairness of the electoral process, alleging restrictions on his party’s campaign activities and raising concerns over reports that candidates were not receiving Form-45s. He stressed that electoral processes should remain transparent and that the party receiving the public mandate should be allowed to govern.
JUI-F leader Abdul Ghafoor Haideri also expressed reservations over delays in result announcements, saying concerns surrounding Form-45 had cast doubt on the credibility of the elections. He warned against any attempt to alter the public mandate and called for transparent electoral procedures.
Reacting to the unofficial results, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the party was emerging as the largest political force in Gilgit-Baltistan and would seek to form the next government.
Polling was held on Sunday from 8am to 5pm across the region. A total of 403 candidates contested the elections, while more than 963,000 registered voters were eligible to cast ballots.
The Election Commission established 1,391 polling stations, including 900 classified as sensitive or highly sensitive. More than 17,500 security personnel, including police, Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts and contingents from Punjab and Sindh police, were deployed to ensure peaceful polling.
According to unofficial results, PPP secured victories in multiple constituencies across Gilgit, Nagar and Skardu, while independent candidates performed strongly in several districts. PML-N and MWM also secured seats as counting continued in the remaining constituencies.