GB polls: PTI-backed candidates, PPP raise concerns over procedures

ISLAMABAD: Controversy over the transparency of forthcoming Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections deepened on Friday, as candidates backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) alleged state interference, while the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) raised concerns over electoral procedures and the release of development funds by the federal government.

The region is scheduled to vote on Sunday to elect a 24-member assembly amid heightened political contestation and competing allegations of uneven electoral conditions.

Opposition-linked candidates have alleged that they are being denied a level playing field. PTI-backed aspirants claimed that restrictions on campaign activity and disputes over party symbols have affected their ability to contest effectively.

A PTI-backed candidate from Ghizer-3, Raja Jehanzeb, said the party had faced constraints similar to those encountered during the 2024 general elections.

He alleged that senior PTI leaders were restricted from campaigning in Gilgit-Baltistan, while no comparable limitations were placed on other parties.

“Once again, we are facing restrictions on our electoral symbol and campaign activities,” he said.

However, leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and regional election authorities rejected the claims, dismissing allegations of administrative bias or procedural irregularities.

The dispute unfolds against the backdrop of a prolonged legal battle over PTI’s internal structure.

The Election Commission of Pakistan declined to certify the party’s intra-party elections in 2024, prompting a legal challenge that remains pending before the Lahore High Court (LHC).

However, PTI-supported candidates aligned with the newly registered Gilgit-Baltistan Democratic Party (GBDP). Later, the GBDP’s registration was suspended shortly before the polls for failing to submit mandatory documents, forcing opposition candidates to run as independents.

“The move was intended to prevent PTI-backed candidates from participating under a unified platform,” claimed Raja Jehanzeb, a PTI-backed candidate contesting from the Ghizer-3 constituency.

Jehanzeb also alleged that central PTI leaders were barred from entering Gilgit-Baltistan for campaigning and faced administrative hurdles, while similar restrictions were not imposed on parties aligned with the federal government.

Bahadur Jameel, the media coordinator for the Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission, denied any discrimination, stating that the suspension followed repeated regulatory failures by the GBDP.

“All candidates are subject to the same electoral code of conduct,” Jameel said, noting that mainstream parties had successfully obtained necessary clearances for campaign activities.

Concerns over the polling framework were also raised by the PPP, an ally of the ruling PML-N in the Centre, despite its active campaign in the mountainous region.

PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bukhari accused the federal government of violating election rules by altering voter rolls and announcing new development schemes during the campaign period to sway voters.

The regional election commission denied that the voter lists had been amended after the schedule was finalised, adding it had received no formal complaint from the PPP.

Security arrangements have also drawn scrutiny following the decision to deploy thousands of external police personnel.

A Gilgit-Baltistan police spokesman confirmed that a 17,000-strong security contingent – including police units from Punjab and Sindh provinces, the paramilitary Rangers, and the Frontier Corps – would be deployed for Sunday’s vote.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026