GB Election 2026: Polling underway amid tight security, tight political contest

Polling is underway in all 24 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly constituencies amid tight security and a highly competitive political environment, with nearly one million registered voters and a simple majority of 17 seats needed to form a government, with direct competition between major political parties and hundreds of independent candidates expected to form the next government in the region.

The polling process started at 8:00 am and will continue till 5:00 pm in all 24 regional assembly constituencies, one of the most closely watched election exercises in the beautiful region of the country.

The 33-member Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly has 24 general seats, 6 reserved women seats and 3 technocrat seats. A party or coalition will need at least 17 seats to secure a simple majority and form the next government, setting the stage for a tightly contested race.

The electoral field is crowded, with major political parties and a large number of independent candidates in the fray. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has fielded 23 candidates, followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 22 candidates. Other major players include Tehreek-e-Pakistan with 15 candidates, Pakistan Muslim League with 11, and JUI-F with 9 candidates.

Smaller but influential political forces are also in the fray, with Majlis-e-Wahdat Muslimeen fielding seven candidates, while Jamaat-e-Islami and MQM are in the race with six candidates each. However, the real wild card is with 266 independent candidates, who can play a decisive role in shaping the final result. Seven women candidates are also part of the election contest.

A total of 958,780 voters are expected to decide the fate of the region’s political future. The voter base includes 503,772 males and 454,708 females, highlighting a strong public mandate waiting to be activated at the ballot box.

The contest spans diverse geography, with Diamar and Skardu emerging as politically important battlegrounds, with four constituencies each. Gilgit, Ghazar and Ghanche have three seats each, while Nagar and Astor have two each. The smaller districts of Hunza, Shagar and Khurmang each have one constituency but are politically important in the bitter battle.

Security has been put on high alert in the entire area. Officials have set up 1,368 polling stations out of which 480 are classified as highly sensitive, 350 sensitive and 457 normal. Around 15,000 police personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order while Section 144 is in force to prevent any untoward incident in Diamar.

Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shehbaz Khan has urged voters to turn out in large numbers, stressing that peaceful participation is key to strengthening democracy. He said that all arrangements have been finalized for free, fair and transparent elections, and appealed to citizens to cooperate with the polling staff and security agencies to make the election process transparent.

With high voter turnout expected and political stakes high, today’s polling is being seen as a decisive moment that could reshape the political landscape of Gilgit-Baltistan.

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