Gilgit-Baltistan elections: Announcement of new districts raises questions

Rivals say PML-N trying to influence elections through Prime minister’s orders

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s announcement to create four new districts in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) has become a point of contention among political parties in the state.

The prime minister had announced the creation of new districts and several other projects for the region during his visit to Gilgit on April 14, a few weeks before the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly (GBLA) elections, scheduled for June 8.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, Hunza-Nagar district would be bifurcated into two districts — Hunza and Nagar. The other two new districts are Shigar and Kharmang, both in Baltistan.

Adding to the confusion was the Shigar assistant commissioner (AC), who issued a notification to the local heads of political parties including the PML-N, PPP, MWM and PAT. The notification said that no notification had been issued regarding new districts and warned the parties against “spreading rumours in the market” about new districts.

In the notification, he also threatened to take legal action against party officials if the ‘market rumours’ led to any violence or other problems. Rumours that influence the elections will be considered violations of the code of conduct for elections, the notification read.

The PML-N, which was cashing in on the announcement by the prime minister, was now at the receiving end after other political parties used the notification against it.

Sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune that G-B Governor Barjees Tahir tried in vain to convince the assistant commissioner to withdraw the notification.

The AC, however, seems to have caved in to pressure from PML-N leaders after issuing a June 1 notification stating that the earlier notification was used by a political party for its political gains.

He seemed to be referring to the PPP, which ran the state till a pre-election caretaker set up recently took charge.

This new notification said that the claim that no announcement had been made for the new districts was untrue. It said that the prime minister had announced that Shigar would become a separate district, and that a notification issued by the Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ministry had been received by the assistant commissioner.

Political rivals of the PML-N have also questioned the prime minister’s announcement regarding development projects and new districts just ahead of the elections. “Is it not a violation of the election code of conduct,” asked Zahid Khan, a PPP leader in G-B.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2015.