G-B polls set to be held tomorrow

A total of 745,361 voters will head to 1,160 polling stations across Gilgit-Baltistan tomorrow (November 15) to elect 23 lawmakers for the legislative assembly amid tight security arrangements and the anti-Covid standard operating procedures (SOPs).

The campaigning for the election ended on midnight Friday. The region’s administration said at least 15,900 law-enforcement personnel would be deployed for security purposes. Authorities have declared 418 polling stations as highly sensitive and 311 as sensitive.

During the electioneering, politicians from major political parties, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) campaigned furiously — drawing large crowds to their rallies.

A total of 330 candidates including four women are in the fray. The chief secretary of Gilgit-Baltistan has announced three-day holidays from on the occasion of elections. The region’s Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan has said all arrangements had been finalised for the election.

“Our aim is to hold transparent, impartial and peaceful elections and all political parties were given adequate time for the election campaign,” the CEC said, while speaking during a briefing at the Police Election Cell in Gilgit.

Elaborating on the security arrangements, Khan said that police, Rangers and FC personnel from all four provinces have come for the first time to perform their duties in the G-B elections. “We will all be dedicated in our mission.”

Earlier, senior police officials gave a briefing on the security arrangements. On the occasion, G-B police chief Dr Mujeebur Rehman Khan said that the G-B Scouts and officials from other provinces and the administration were committed to holding transparent and peaceful elections.