Voting for the Gilgit Baltistan Assembly elections is being held today, on Sunday, June 7. The elections will be held across 24 constituencies. In addition to this, 403 candidates will be contesting for seats in the regional legislature.
After weeks of election campaigning, voters will be casting their ballots to elect their representatives for the next five years.
Gilgit-Baltistan elections today
According to the Chief Election Commissioner, polling will begin at 8:00 AM and will continue without a break until 5:00 PM.
A total of 1,368 polling stations have been set up for the elections. Of these, 830 have been declared highly sensitive.
In addition to this, extra security measures have been put in place at these locations to make sure of peaceful and transparent voting.
Official figures show that Gilgit Baltistan has 958,780 registered voters. This includes 503,772 male voters and more than 455,000 female voters.
Special arrangements have also been made to encourage women’s participation in the election process.
A total of 403 candidates are contesting the elections. These include 266 independent candidates. Seven women candidates are also in the race from different constituencies.
For the convenience of voters, 2,447 polling booths have been established. Around 17,500 police personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order.
In addition to this, the Pakistan Army and other law enforcement agencies are also on alert to deal with any emergency situation.
The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly consists of 33 seats. These include 24 general seats, six reserved seats for women, and three seats for technocrats.
To form a government, a political party or alliance will need the support of at least 17 members to secure a simple majority in the assembly.
Election officials said all necessary arrangements have been completed to make sure of free, fair, and transparent elections. The results are expected to play a key role in shaping the region’s political future and the next government.
