Polling underway in election for GBA-3

Polling in GBA-3 was underway on Sunday amid tight security measures that were earlier postponed after the death of a contesting candidate, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

PPP’s Aftab Haider, PML-N’s Zulfiqar Ali and PTI’s Syed Sohail Abbas Shah are the main contestants.

The polling started at 9am will end at 5pm.

GBA-3 (Gilgit-III) is a constituency of Gilgit Baltistan Assembly which has 34,103 votes.

According to the unofficial results of 23 constituencies of G-B, the PTI bagged 10 seats, leading other major political parties, including the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) with three seats, and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with two seats.

The Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Pakistan (MWM) secured one seat after seat adjustment with the PTI in one constituency, whereas independent candidates emerged victorious in seven constituencies, according to the unofficial results.

The elections were held amid tight security and anti-coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs) on Sunday. On Monday, soon after the results were confirmed by the election officials, jubilant supporters of the winning candidates came out on streets to celebrate and PPP workers went on to protest against alleged rigging.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said, “My elections have been stolen,” while PML-N Maryam Nawaz Sharif reiterated in Mansehra public rally that GB elections have been rigged and despite government machinery the PTI government was not able to secure a simple majority in GB General Elections 2020.

However, PTI federal ministers refuted all allegations leveled by the opposition parties and termed the elections as the most transparent and fair elections ever held in history. Information Minister Senator Shibli Faraz said,” GB made a right choice and rejected the PDM narrative.”