Our Correspondent
Gilgit
The PTI is all set to form the government in Gilgit Baltistan after having secured 22 of its 33 seats, according to the official results announced by the region’s election commission on Tuesday.
The PPP and PML-N, both of which have levelled allegations of rigging, hold five and three seats, respectively. In all, the GB Assembly has 33 seats — 24 of which are contested through elections; six are reserved for women and three others reserved for technocrats and professionals. Political parties can nominate their candidates to the latter through proportional representation.
In the elections, the PTI emerged victorious on 10 seats, while seven were won by independent candidates. The JUI and Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen won one seat apiece. Six of the independent candidates have joined PTI after the election and the party already had a seat adjustment arrangement with the MWM.
PPP’s GB chapter President Advocate Amjad Hussain was declared as the winner in GBLA-1 and GBLA-4. PPP also won GBLA-24 constituency. The party got two reserved seats — one for women and the other for technocrats.
Meanwhile, PML-N was able to grab GBLA-16 and GBLA-21 and one seat reserved for women. Soon after the chief election commissioner issued the official election results, PPP announced its rejection, saying that the outcome was announced without addressing the party’s reservations.
“How can results be announced officially when a protest by party workers is underway and PPP still has reservations?” asked PPP leader Nafisa Shah. She further said that the announcement of results had “exposed the nexus of federal government and [GB] election commission”.
Shah said that GBLA-2’s returning officer had clearly said that a forensic audit of ballots should be held and yet results had been announced without conducting one.
