G-B elections to be held on Jan 24, says CEC Raja

ISLAMABAD:

General elections for the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Assembly will be held on 24 January 2026, G-B Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Raja Shah Baz Khan announced on Friday.

Complete coordination among all institutions will be ensured to guarantee transparency, security, and a fair process. Elections in the G-B will be transparent," he reaffirmed.

According to Khan, the date for local government elections in the region is also expected to be unveiled next week. The announcement came after President Asif Ali Zardari signed the summary submitted by the CEC.

Meanwhile, the G-B CEC has appointed district returning officers (DROs) for the 2026 elections. According to a notification, Amir Hamza has been appointed as the DRO for Gilgit; Khurshid Ahmed for Skardu; Sohail Ahmed Khan for Diamer and Luqman Hakeem for Ghizer.

Minhaj Ali Raja has been appointed as the DRO for Astore; Nizam Uddin for Hunza, Minhas Hussain for Nagar; Muhammad Ishaq for Ghanche; Muhammad Sharif for Kharmang and Manzoor Hussain for Shigar area.

The G-B Assembly, formerly known as G-B Legislative Assembly, is a unicameral legislature of elected representatives of the region located in Jutial neighbourhood in the city of Gilgit, the G-B's capital.

It was established under the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order in 2009 which granted the region self-rule and an elected legislature, having a total of 33 seats, with 24 general seats, 6 seats reserved for women and 3 reserved for technocrats and professionals.