ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has emerged as the leading political force in the recent Gilgit-Baltistan elections, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday, congratulating the party and voters in the northern region in a carefully worded post-poll statement.
In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Shehbaz described the elections as “transparent” and largely peaceful, highlighting what he called strong public participation and an orderly polling process.
He extended congratulations to President Asif Ali Zardari and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, while also acknowledging the performance of his own party – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – which he claimed had “fought a strong contest” in the region.
“The people of Gilgit-Baltistan deserve special appreciation for their active participation in political activities. Peaceful and transparent elections and political engagement are the true beauty of democracy,” Shehbaz said.
He also praised the Election Commission of Gilgit-Baltistan for what he insisted was the conduct of a “free, fair, transparent and impartial” election, a claim rejected by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which alleged the polls were rigged and that it was denied a level playing field.
The prime minister further credited police and security forces for maintaining order throughout the polling and counting process.
According to preliminary, unofficial results, the PPP secured 10 of the 24 directly elected seats in the 33-member assembly, placing it ahead of rivals but short of an outright majority.
The ruling PML-N followed with six seats, independents won seven – including two backed by PTI – while Majlis-e-Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) took one seat.
Voting for the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly was held on Sunday and concluded peacefully under tight security, with counting continuing overnight before unofficial tallies began to emerge early Monday.
The assembly includes 24 general seats, with nine additional reserved seats – six for women and three for technocrats and professionals – allocated proportionally based on party performance.
The PPP’s gains were largely concentrated in Baltistan and select key districts, with notable victories including GBA-12 (Shigar), where Imran Nadeem defeated rivals from independent and PML-N candidates. The party also secured victory in constituencies across Gilgit, Nagar, Skardu, Roundu, Kharmang, Darel and Ghizer.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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