Ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won 10 seats in Gilgit-Baltistan General Elections 2020 amid a highly charged polling activity despite harsh weather conditions, while independent candidates grabbed seven seats, reported 24NewsHD TV channel
According to unofficial and unconfirmed results, PPP won 3 seats, PML-N 2 and Majlis-e-Wahdat Ul-Muslimeen (MWM) won one seat.
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PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz responding to the GB Elections results tweeted: “People of Gilgit-Baltistan don’t feel demoralized on this rigging. This wall of sand is going to fall and the puppet's game is about to end. Inshallah.”
PPP Chairperson Bilawal said: “The people of GB’s enthusiasm is a testament to their commitment to democracy. The election commission must not fail them and ensure every vote is cast & counted.”
PML-N Shahid Khaqan Abbasi during a press conference Monday alleged that ruling PTI ministers influenced the GB elections and took part in the election campaign till last day violating the elections code of conduct.
“Six candidates of PML-N have given other parties tickets scientifically,” he added.
The former prime minister said: “Elections were supposed to be held on August 15 but after three months the results are in front of you.”
“Gilgit Baltistan stopped from taking their own decisions in elections” he claimed.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said it is shameful that with all the government machinery and powers, the ruling party did not manage to gain a simple majority.
“We have learnt nothing and now trying to impose non-representative government in the GB. This sort of government will never be able to deliver,” PML-N senior leader said.
He claimed: “People of GB are fed up with the PTI.”
PPP Parliamentary Leader in the Senate, Senator Sherry Rehman complained that there were more than six hundred members of the Free and Fair Election Network monitoring the election and claimed that some have been removed from the polling stations.
She also said people who came to cast their votes found their votes were already cast through postal ballot.
Political parties’ workers remained busy in mobilizing voters to come and cast their votes in ballots for the future representatives of GB. All mainstream political parties including ruling PTI and opposition PPP and PML-N arranged a large scale public gathering making the 3rd General Elections since 2009, a historic in terms of political and polling activity amid an enthusiastic participation from the general public.
PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif both expressed during their elections campaign of pre-poll rigging while ruling PTI federal ministers Ali Amin Khan Gandapur and Communication Minister Murad Saeed urged the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders that elections held free and fair.
If we look at the trends of the previous results of last two legislative assemblies’ of the GB, the percent of the federal party in Centre taking seats are: In 2009 PPP 14 out of 24 ( 58 percent seats), 2015 PMLN 16 out of 24 (66 perecnt) and 2020 PTI 9 out of 23 (39 percent seats). The TV channel reported that for the first time in GB history that the ruling party failed to win a simple majority.
Around 330 candidates including four women contested the general elections in 23 constituencies of GB Assembly. However, no woman candidate managed to win their seats.
It is pertinent to note that election has been delayed in GBA-3 following the death of PTI Gilgit Baltistan President retired Justice Jaffer Shah from coronavirus. A low turnout was witnessed in some upper areas of GB, including Ghizer, Hunza and Sost, due to snowfall.
Heavyweights defeated
Two former chief ministers of Gilgit-Baltistan include Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Mehdi Shah and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Hafiz Hafeez-ur-Rehman lost elections 2020
Caretaker Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan Haji Mir Afzal termed the turnout outstanding and said the polling went in a transparent and peaceful manner in Gilgit Baltistan elections.
In a tweet, Information Minister Senator Shibli Faraz said: “The victory of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is an expression of confidence of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan in the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan.”
Adviser to Punjab chief minister on information Firdous Ashiq Awan said: “People of GB has expressed their confidence in the leadership of prime minister Imran khan. “Calibri Queen and Zardari’s son must accept their defeat like good kids,” she added.
Here is the complete result of the Gilgit Baltistan Assembly.
GBA-1: Gilgit 1: PPP candidate Amjad Hussain won the seat with 11178 votes and independent candidate Sultan Raees obtained 8356 votes.
GBA-2: Gilgit 2: PPP candidate Jameel Ahmed won the seat with 8817 votes while Fatahullah Khan of PTI got 6607 votes.
GBA-4: Nagar 1: PPP candidate Amjad Hussain managed to win the seat with 4716 votes while ITP candidate Muhammad Ayub grabbed 4291 votes.
GBA-5: Another independent candidate Javed Ali won the seat with 2570 votes. MWM candidate grabbed 1850 votes.
GBA-6: PTI candidate Ubaid Ullah clinched the seat with 6600 votes. Independent candidate Noor Muhammad got 3910 votes.
GBA-7: Skardu 1: PTI candidate Raja Zakariya won the election with 5290 votes. PPP candidate Syed Mehdi Shah, former chief minister, remained on the second position with 4114 votes.
GBA-8: Skardu 2: MWM candidate Muhammad Kazim won the seat with 7534 votes. PPP candidate Syed Muhammad Ali Shah fought well and obtained 7146 votes.
GBA-9: Skardu 3: Yet another independent candidate Wazir Muhammad Saleem won the seat with 6865 votes. Fida Muhammad Nashad of PTI got 5236 votes.
GBA-10: Skardu 4: Independent candidate Raja Nasir Ali won the seat with 5124 votes. Wazir Hassan of PTI got 3684 votes.
GBA-11: PTI candidate Amjad Ali Zaidi managed to win the seat with 6604 votes while independent candidate Iqbal Hussain got 2659 votes.
GBA-12: PTI candidate Raja Azam Khan won the seat with 10674 votes. PPP candidate managed to get 8886 votes.
GBA-13: Astore 1: PTI candidate Khalid Khursheed Khan won the seat with 4836 votes while PPP candidate Abdul Hameed got 3117 votes.
GBA-14: Astore 2: PTI candidate Shamsul Haq Loon clinched the seat with 5354 votes. PPP candidate Muzaffar Hassan grabbed 3479 votes.
GBA-15: Independent candidate Haji Shah Baig won the seat.
GBA-16: PML-N candidate Muhammad Anwaar clinched the seat with 4813 votes. Independent candidate Attaullah got 4314 votes.
GBA-17: PTI candidate Haider Khan won the seat with 5389 votes. Rehmat Khaliq of JUI-F got 5162 votes.
GBA-18: Diamir 4: PTI candidate Gulbar Khan won the seat with 6793 votes. Independent candidate Malik Kafayat-ur-Rehman bagged 5986 votes.
GBA-19: Independent candidate Nawaz Khan Naji won the seat with 6208 votes. Syed Jalal Shah got 4967 votes.
GBA-20: PTI candidate Nazir Ahmed won the seat with 5582 votes and Khan Akbar Khan of PML-Q managed to get 3815 votes.
GBA-21: PML-N candidate Ghulam Muhammad secured the seat with 4334 votes while PPP candidate Ayub Shah managed to get 3430 votes.
GBA-22: Ghanchay 1: Independent candidate Mushtaq Hussain won the seat with 6051 votes. PTI candidate only managed to get 4945 votes.
GBA-23: Independent candidate Abdul Hameed managed to win the seat with 3666 votes while Amina Ansari of PTI got 3296 votes.
GBA-24: PPP candidate Muhammad Ismail won the seat with 6204 votes. PTI candidate Syed Shamasuddin grabbed 5361 votes.