Polling for the 24 seats of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly has officially concluded at 5 pm, with counting now in progress. A total of 403 candidates took part in the elections, including 395 male and 8 female candidates.
Since early Sunday morning, voters have turned out in large numbers at polling stations across Gilgit-Baltistan, with long queues throughout the day. Polling continued uninterrupted until 5:00 p.m.
A scuffle broke out in Skardu when unauthorised individuals attempted to enter a polling station; however, the police quickly brought the situation under control. Meanwhile, complaints of slow polling were reported at several polling stations in Astore.
The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly has a total of 33 seats. Out of these, 24 seats are filled through direct elections, 6 are reserved for women, and 3 are reserved for technocrats.
For a transparent and peaceful electoral process, 7,678 polling staff and more than 12,000 security personnel have been deployed. Strict security arrangements have been put in place to monitor the elections, and a flag march was also conducted in Skardu.
A complete ban has been imposed on carrying mobile phones and recording devices inside polling stations. However, media representatives and observers holding Election Commission permits are exempt from this restriction.
A simple majority of 17 seats is required for any party or alliance to form the government. More than 400 candidates, including 8 women, are contesting the 24 directly elected seats.
There are 963,000 registered voters in total, including 560,000 male and 456,000 female voters. The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly consists of 33 seats: 24 directly elected members, 6 reserved for women, and 3 reserved for technocrats.
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