Gilgit-Baltistan elections to be held on June 7

Polls will be held under Election Act 2017 and G-B Order 2018

GILGIT:

General elections in Gilgit-Baltistan will be held on June 7, the GB Election Commission announced on Saturday after a four-month delay.

General elections for the G-B Assembly were scheduled for Jan 24, 2026. However, days after the announcement, the elections were postponed indefinitely due to harsh weather conditions in the region. The G-B Election Commission Secretariat, in a notification, announced June 7 as the poll day for the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly general elections. It added the elections would be held under Election Act 2017 and G-B Order 2018.

G-B Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan also confirmed the development. As for the local government election, Khan said a schedule will be issued later, and it will be held after the general election.

He added that preparations were ready for both.

LG polls in G-B, announced after a gap of 20 years, were initially set for Feb 14, 2026.

Earlier this month, Khan said the GB Election Commission was preparing to conduct the elections but had not yet decided on a date. Fourteen political parties had stood opposed to holding elections in the months of January or February due to harsh weather conditions, as many areas remained cut off from other areas amid heavy snowfall.

Political parties in G-B were uncertain about holding elections before June but feared they could be delayed until October. They agreed that holding elections during Muharram, which begins on June 15 or 16 this year, or on other religious occasions such as Chehlum, was not possible.

Political leaders, therefore, feared that postponing elections until June could effectively delay them until September or October.