GILGIT: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has become the largest political party in the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Assembly with 13 seats following the GB Election Commission distributed nine reserved seats among different parties.
PML-N comes second with nine seats.
The commission has also issued the notification for the candidates winning the seats reserved for women and technocrats.
On the other hand, the commission has announced the names of 21 candidates returning to the assembly on general seats.
In the notification issued by GB Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan under Article 98 (1) of the Election Act, 2017 and Election Rules, 2017, the PPP has emerged as the largest party in the assembly, while the PML-N, independent candidates, Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) and Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen candidates have also won a sizeable number of seats. It is pertinent to mention here that the results of 21 general seats have been announced, while three were withheld on Friday on the orders of the Supreme Appellate Court until the appeals filed by rival candidates were decided.
The election commission also rejected the appeal filed by the PPP and declared the IPP eligible for the reserved seats.
However, the PPP can challenge the decision in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the Gilgit Baltistan Assembly Secretariat has forwarded a summary for convening the inaugural session of the newly elected Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly.
According to GB Assembly sources, the first session of the assembly has been scheduled for Sunday, June 21, at 4pm.
During the opening session, the newly elected members of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly will take the oath of office, formally marking the commencement of the new parliamentary term. The inaugural sitting will pave the way for subsequent constitutional and parliamentary proceedings, including the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, as well as the process of government formation.