Gandapur thanks people for ‘landslide victory’ in G-B poll

Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur has thanked the people of G-B for giving the ruling party a “two-third majority” in the recently-held general election in the region.

According to the official results announced by the G-B’s election commission on Tuesday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured 22 of 33 seats.

Addressing a press conference in Gilgit, Gandapur said that people cast their vote despite severe weather conditions and gave a huge mandate to PTI for which they deserve appreciation.

The people of G-B have rejected both the opposition parties – Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – that showed complete confidence of people on the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, he added. 

"The PTI will make all-out efforts to end sense of deprivation in G-B by resolving their grievances at earliest."

The minister paid tribute to the G-B Chief Election Commissioner for holding, free fair and peaceful elections.

He said the central leaders of PML-N and PPP had started levelling allegations of rigging before the election in their campaigns and tried to create chaos, but they failed and did not succeed in their nefarious aims.

The PTI followed the election code of conduct during the election campaign and did not make any announcement despite the approval of several mega projects in G-B.

Gandapur said peaceful protest is a democratic right of everyone, but vandalism, siege and taking law into hands will not be allowed at any cost.

On Monday, enraged protesters set on fire a government building and four vehicles in Gilgit after police baton-charged them outside the premises of the region’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) office.

PPP supporters and activists staged a protest outside the election commission’s office and urged the authorities to not announce official results of GBA-2 seat without forensic test of postal ballots.

Gandapur said the vote counting in GBLA-2 constituency had been done five times at the request of the opposing candidate.

“However, if anyone was not satisfied with the election results, he should go to the election tribunal.”

He said the opposition parties were making verbal claims and no one was ready to produce any evidences before G-B election commission which he said had shown complete impartiality in the election.

(With input from News Desk)