G-B seat re-polling concludes amid rigging claims

Election authority in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) on Sunday held re-polling at three polling stations for GBA-16 (Diamer-II) amid a protest by the ruling PPP in Diamer's Chilas, as well as Gilgit, against alleged electoral malpractice by the IPP.

The election commission held re-polling at the polling stations after an election tribunal accepted IPP's Imam Malik's plea and suspended PPP's Attaullah Shah's assembly membership

The electoral process began at 8am and continued until 5pm, allowing voters present within the polling station premises at that time to cast their votes. A total of 2,780 registered voters were eligible at the polling stations.

After polling concluded, supporters of PPP's Shah took to the streets in Diamer district's Chilas and Gilgit to protest the alleged removal of ballot boxes from a women's polling station in Thore Valley by the IPP candidate and his supporters.

Protesters blocked Shahrah Quaid-i-Azam near the G-B Assembly in Gilgit by burning tyres. One protester claimed that Malik and others accompanying him entered a polling station and took away ballot boxes and other polling material.

The G-B Police later initiated action against those who "took away polling material" from the Wara polling station, and registered a first information report (FIR) under terrorism charges.

G-B Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan later told a news outlet that an investigation was under way into the allegations. He claimed that the commission ensured foolproof security at the stations and affirmed that the matter would be resolved.