Polling day: G-B votes today to usher in new legislative representatives

Security arrangements made to ensure polls are conducted in a peaceful manner

GILGIT:

Over 600,000 voters in 24 constituencies of Gilgit-Baltistan will cast their ballot on Monday (today) for legislative assembly elections which are taking place after six years.

Preparations for the polls remained in full swing till the very last minute. Around 17 known political parties have fielded their candidates for the polls. In total 280 candidates are in the running. Over the last month, a number of leaders from mainstream political parties have visited G-B for electioneering purposes, showing their faces after ages.

In the past, there was a tendency for voters to opt for the party which formed government in the Centre. It remains to be seen whether Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz will make a clean sweep as Pakistan Peoples Party continues to hold substantial ground and other parties are also likely to put up a tough fight. Yet, numerous members of other parties defected to the PML-N in the run up, placing it as a likely contender.

Gilgit

In Gilgit GBLA 1, PML-N candidate Jafarullah, PPP candidate Amjad Hussain and Nizamuddin, an independent candidate, are in the running. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has fielded a candidate but lacks popular support. Meanwhile, Gilgit GBLA 2 attracted considerable attention as PML-N regional chief Hafeezur Rahman is contesting from this constituency. Insiders believe Rahman is likely to become the next chief minister of the region if his party wins. However, he is likely to face stiff competition from PPP leader Jamil Ahmed, who has succeeded in getting candidates from other parties to withdraw in his favour.

Hunza-Nagar

PML-N leader Dr Iqbal is in a strong position in GBLA 3 in Nagar even though PPP candidate Aftab Haider might give him a run for his money. Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen leader Sheikh Nayar and Islami Tehreek Pakistan (ITP) leader Muhammad Shafi are also in the running. In GBLA 4 in Nagar, stiff competition is expected between ITP and PPP. The ex-finance minister Mohammad Akhtar is also contesting as an independent candidate from this constituency after he was denied a ticket by PPP.

Skardu

In GBLA 7 in Skardu, former chief minister Mehdi Shah is contesting on a PPP ticket. He is likely to face resistance from PTI’s Raja Jalal and PML-N’s Akbar Taban. PPP candidate Nisar Hussain, PML-N candidate Muhammad Ali Shah, ITP candidate Syed Muhammad Abbas Rizvi, and MWM candidate Kacho Imtiaz are on equal footing in GBLA 8 in Skardu.

In GBLA 12, former planning minister, Raja Muhammad Azam, who recently defected to PML-N, is in the lead followed closely by PPP’s Imran Nadeem.

Astore

PML-N candidate Farman Ali is competing with PPP leader Abdul Hameed and MWM Ghulam Akber in GBLA 13 in Astore. However, according to unconfirmed reports, Hameed has withdrawn in favour of an independent candidate. In GBLA 14, 28 candidates are contesting elections.

Diamer

A PPP candidate is ahead of PML-N’s Gandal Shah in GBLA 15 in Diamer. Even though PTI chief Imran Khan held a rally in the valley recently, PTI candidate Noshad Alam is steadily losing ground. In GBLA 16, PML-N candidate Janbaz Khan is contesting while PPP, JUI-F and PTI are represented by Dil Bar Khan, Muhammad Pervaiz, Atiqullah, respectively.

Ghizer and Ghanche

In GBLA 19, a constituency in Ghizer, Nawaz Khan Naji, a nationalist leader, is competing with PML-N’s Shakeel Ahmed while PTI and PPP have also fielded candidates. Meanwhile, in GBLA 22 in Ghanche, Amina Ansari, who recently joined PTI, is giving a tough time to PML-N candidate Ibrahim Sanai who is in a better position.

All geared up

At least 6,000 army personnel have been deployed in 1,143 polling stations to supervise the polling process. Similarly, the election commission has deemed 400 polling stations ‘sensitive.’

According to a notification issued by the ECP, if presiding officers are inside polling stations, they will monitor activities therein whereas army will supervise activities outside the stations. Moreover, POs will be expected to inform the army officials about developments inside polling stations. They will then inform the army man in charge of the three or four local polling stations who will subsequently tell the returning officer (RO) to take action.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2015.