LAHORE: Gilgit-Baltistan is finally going to the polls on June 7, after a delay of over three months.
Eighteen political parties and over 250 independents are in the race to win 24 assembly seats. In the final days leading up to the polls, the top leadership of the PML-N and PPP campaigned vigorously to win over the people of a region that still largely lacks basic facilities.
The PML-N, in its manifesto, has tried to woo voters with promises of a Rs100 billion development package, roads, laptops, a women’s university, solar plates, a share in the NFC, four new districts and much more.
The PPP’s manifesto has not been released yet (as of the filing of this story). Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, in his speech, announced ‘right to govern, land ownership and employment’ as the main targets.
Amjad Hussain, president of the PPP in GB, in an interview with a digital channel a few days back, tried to cover the lack of a manifesto by claiming that the party’s manifesto is service.
The PTI’s candidates are yet again forced to contest as independents. The party announced a manifesto on the last day of the campaign, covering governance and promising resource ownership, infrastructure development, employment opportunities and human development.
In the last assembly, the PTI won a majority with 10 seats (the number was later reduced to nine in October 2024 after a third recount in GBA-2). The party formed the government with independents who had won seven seats and MWM, which had one seat.
In July 2023, the party lost its majority following the disqualification of CM Khalid Khursheed and the formation of a forward bloc led by Gulbar Khan, who became CM with the backing of the PPP and PML-N. Gulbar Khan is now contesting the election on an Istehkam Pakistan Party (IPP) ticket.
The IPP’s manifesto for GB, shared through a video, promises to build roads, construct small hydropower dams, attract investment, promote tourism, empower women, provide clean water and establish dispensaries in every union council.
The lack of manifestos by some parties and the late release of others’ manifestos shows that political parties prefer to contest elections by banking on personalities rather than addressing people’s issues.
The PPP has fielded the most candidates at 23, followed by the PML-N with 22, IPP 15, PNP 11, PML 11, JUI and ITP nine each, MWM seven, JI and MQM six each and AWP four. Nineteen PTI-backed independents are also in the race.
The PPP is banking on several old horses. Eleven of the party’s 23 candidates have participated in all three elections since 2009. Four have contested the 2015 and 2020 elections, while three others have contested one election previously.
Out of the five fresh candidates the party has fielded, Syed Tauqeer Mehdi from GBA-7 is taking over his father, the current governor of GB, Syed Mehdi Shah’s constituency. Syed Jalal Shah from GBA-19 is the son of former governor Syed Karam Ali Shah, and another, Ashiq Hussain from GBA-22, is the brother of former GB minister for water and power Mushtaq Hussain.
Four of the PPP’s candidates have switched parties at least once, while two others have done so twice.
Four of the PML-N’s candidates have contested all elections held since 2009, five others participated in two elections each, while 10 have contested once before. The party has fielded three fresh candidates: Abdul Jahan, Imtiaz Hussain and Ajmal Hussain. Six of its candidates have switched parties at least once, whereas six others have previously contested as independents and are now representing the party.
Wazeer Hassan from GBA-10 takes the cake for switching parties. He started with the PPP, went to PTI, ditched PTI to form a forward bloc, rejoined the PPP and then left it before the elections to join the PML-N.
Among PTI-backed candidates, two have contested elections twice before, eight once before, while eight are fresh. Only one candidate, Naishad Alam from GBA-15, has participated in all previous elections.
The most prominent PTI-backed candidate is Shahida Khursheed, the mother of former CM Muhammad Khalid Khursheed from GBA-13. The party has claimed that it has again been denied the freedom to campaign and contest, with party leadership barred from entering the region and workers arrested.
For Sunday, 1,368 polling stations have been set up for over 0.95 million voters. All eyes are expected to focus on Form 45s -- though in a region already struggling with means of communication, it won’t be easy.
