Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) won eight of 23 constituencies on Monday and led the legislative assembly elections in Gilgit-Baltistan by one seat, prompting opposition parties to qualify. the elections as “stolen”. India criticized Pakistan for its decision to hold elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, saying that any action to alter the status of the militarily occupied region has no legal basis.
Elections were held in 23 seats in the third legislative assembly on Sunday amid tight security due to the threat of militancy. Voting on a seat was postponed after the death of one of the contestants.
The unofficial results compiled by the different media showed that the PTI won at least 8 seats and was ahead by one, but still lacked the majority to form the government. However, he was in a position to form a government, as 6-7 independent candidates also won.
Geo TV reported that the PTI won 8 seats, the independent candidates 7, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) 3, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) 2, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JIU-F ) and Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) 1 seat each.
The official results were not yet known, as the electoral authorities may take some time to announce the final result.
Both the opposition party PPP and the PML-N have alleged electoral fraud by the ruling PTI.
Commenting on the unofficial results, the head of the PPP, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, alleged that “the election was stolen.”
“Our candidates were asked to leave the PPP and join the PTI,” Bilawal said while addressing a protest rally in Gilgit’s DC Chowk against alleged “fraud” in the elections.
“The people of this region will not allow me to steal their votes,” he said.
PML-N also rejected the election results, saying that the party would protest against them.
“People are being robbed of their rights,” said PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal, adding that independent candidates won against PTI candidates. “The success of the independent candidates means that people have rejected the PTI,” he added.
Up to 330 candidates, including four women, participated in the elections.
Of the 1,141 polling stations, 577 have been declared sensitive and 297 highly sensitive. More than 15,000 security personnel from Gilgit-Baltistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Baluchistan were deployed to polling stations.
It is the third election for the current legislative assembly after the political reform introduced in 2010.
Traditionally, the ruling party in Islamabad has won the Gilgit-Baltistan elections. The first election was won by the PPP when it obtained 15 seats, followed by the PML-N, the then ruling party, in 2015 when it obtained 16 seats.
Voters kept up the tradition, but with a difference, as the PTI failed to obtain an absolute majority. PML-N emerged as the biggest loser as it ruled from 2015 to 2020 and was popular in the region.
PPP Secretary General Nayyar Bukhari on Sunday demanded the disqualification of the ruling PTI candidates from the elections.
Some changes in the state of the region are expected to be announced after the formation of the new government in the region.
In a ruling earlier this year, the Supreme Court of Pakistan allowed Islamabad to amend a 2018 administrative order to hold general elections in the region. The Gilgit-Baltistan Order of 2018 provided for administrative changes, including authorizing the Prime Minister of Pakistan to legislate on a variety of issues.
Following the verdict, India issued a motion to a senior Pakistani diplomat in New Delhi and made a strong protest at the higher court’s ruling.
India also clearly conveyed to Pakistan that all the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including the Gilgit and Baltistan areas, are an integral part of the country.
Elections in Gilgit-Baltistan were due to take place on August 18, but the Pakistan electoral commission on July 11 postponed them due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The five-year term of the previous assembly had ended on June 24, ending the five-year term of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). PTI SH RS ZH AKJ ZH ZH
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