PTI, PPP, PML-N eye victory as Gilgit-Baltistan goes to polls

SKARDU: All preparations have been finalized to ensure a smooth polling process in Gilgit-Baltistan as the voters will elect members for the legislature on Sunday (today), ARY News reported.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Muslim League (Q), Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) are among the parties contesting the GB polls.

A three-pronged contest between the PTI, People’s Party and PML-N is expected as the opinion polls suggesting PTI ahead in the contest.

The registered voters in the area are 745361 and 1160 polling stations have been set up across GB among which 418 has been declared very sensitive and 311 as sensitive.

330 candidates from 23 constituencies will take part in the election. The process of polling will begin at 8:00 am and will continue without any interval till 5 pm. Deployment of staff and materials will be completed by 6 pm in 23 constituencies.

Meanwhile, polling in constituency GBA-3 has been postponed due to the death of a candidate. The polling will now take place on November 22.

More than 15000 security personnel from GB, Punjab, KPK, Sind and Bolochistan have been sent to their respective polling stations across GB.

GB police chief Dr. Mujeebur Rehman has said that the military troops could also be deployed for assistance in the election if required, he added.

Election Commission Gilgit-Baltistan has prohibited to carry mobile phones and other such devices inside the polling stations and within the parameters of 100 meters.

The elections will be held in 23 constituencies in the region, each electing a member to the 3rd Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly. In the 33 members’ house, six seats are reserved for women and three for technocrats.

Here’s a look at all 24 GB constituencies

Gilgit Division:

The Gilgit region is divided into nine constituencies.

GBLA-1 Gilgit-1

A total of 25 candidates are contesting elections. In this constituency, former speaker and PML-N leader Jaffarullah, PPP candidate Amjad Hussain Advocate, Maulana Sultan Raees (Independent), PTI’s Johar Ali, Pakistan Rah-e-Haq Party candidate Himayat Ullah, Syed Mustafa Shah of Islami Tehreek are in the running.

GBLA-2 Gilgit-II

Of a total of 25 candidates, the real contest is expected between the former chief minister and PML-N candidate, Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman and PPP candidate Jamil Ahmed.

GBLA-3 Gilgit-III

The elections in this constituency have been postponed after the death of PTI President Syed Jaffer Shah.

GBLA-4 Nagar-1

A total of 18 candidates were initially in the run in this constituency.

Top contenders: Amjad Hussain Advocate (PPP) and Muhammad Ayub Waziri (ITP).

GBLA-5 Nagar-II

Total 26 candidates had filed nomination papers in the constituency.

A tough contest is expected between Rizwan Ali (MWM), Javed Ali Manva (Independent), and Mirza Hussain (PPP).

GBLA -6 Hunza

A close fight is expected between PTI’s Obaidullah Baig and Zahoor Karim of PPP.

GBLA-19 Ghizer-I

GBLA-20 Ghizer-II

Total of 12 candidates are contesting the election from this constituency.

Top contenders:

Ali Sher (PPP), Nazeer Ahmed (PTI), Safdar Ali Sherazi (Indp)

GBLA-21 Ghizer-III

In this constituency, the main contest is expected between PML-N’s Ghulam Muhammad, PPP’s Muhammad Ayub, PTI’s Raja Jahanzeb, Rehmat Rahim (Independent), Hafeez-ur-Rehman (Independent) and Abdul Saboor Khan (Independent).

Baltistan Division:

The Baltistan region has a population of 538,300 and consists of nine constituencies.

GBLA-7 Skardu-I

A close fight is expected between PTI’s Raja Zekeria and PPP’s Syed Mehdi Shah.

GBLA-8 Skardu-II

Top contenders

Imtiaz Haider (Indp), Mohammad Ali Shah (PPP), Mohammad Kazim (MWM)

GBLA-9 Skardu-III

PTI candidate and former GBLA speaker Fida Muhammad Nashad and Wazir Muhammad Salem (Independent) are the leading candidates.

GBLA-10 Skardi-IV

Raja Nasir Ali (Independent), Wazir Hassan of PTI, Muhammad Sikandar Ali of Islami Tehreek Pakistan, Ghulam Abbas of PML-N and Najaf Ali, Independent are contesting election from this constituency.

GBLA-11 Kharmang

The contest is expected to be between PTI’s Syed Amjad Ali, Syed Mohsin Rizvi (Independent), PML-N’s Shabbir Hussain, and Iqbal Hussain.

GBLA-12 Shigar

Top contenders:

Imran Nadeem (PPP), Raja Azam Khan (PTI), Tahir Shigri (PML-N)

GBLA-22 Ghanche-I

PTI’s Muhammad Ibrahim Sanai, Mushtaq Hussain (Independent) and PPP’s Muhammad Jaffer are contesting from this seat. In this constituency, the PTI candidate is tipped to win the polls.

GBLA-23 Ghanche-II

In this constituency, the main contest is expected between Amina Ansari of PTI, Ghulam Hussain of PML-N, Abdul Hameed (Independent) and Ghulam Ali Haideri of PPP.

GBLA-24 Ghanche-III

A total of five candidates are contesting elections in this constituency and the main contest is expected between PPP’s Muhammad Ismail, PML-Q’s Muhammad Ibrahim Taban and PTI’s Syed Shamsuddin.

Diamer Division:

The Diamer region has total of six seats

GBLA-13 Astore-I

Top contenders:

Khalid Khurshid (PTI), Abdul Hamid Khan (PPP), Dr Ghulam Abbas (Indp),

GBLA-14 Astore-II

PTI’s Shamsul Haq, PML-N’s Rana Muhamad Farooq and PPP’s Muzaffar Ali Relay are contesting election from this constituency.

GBLA-15 Diamer-I

Candidates: Wali-ur-Rehman (JUI-F), Noushad Ali (PTI), Bashir Ahmed (PPP), Abdul Wajid (PML-N)

GBLA-16 Diamer-II

Eng Muhammad Anwar of PML-N, PPP’s Dilbar Khan, Attaulla (Independent) and Atiqullah of PTI contesting election from this seat.

GBLA-17 Diamer-III

Candidates: Haider Khan (PTI), Ghaffar Khan (PPP), Sardar Alam (PML-N), Rehman Khalid (JUI-F).

GBLA-18 Diamer-IV

The main tussle is expected between PTI’s Gulbar Khan, JUI-F’s Abdur Rasheed, Malik Kifayat-ur-Rehman (Independent), and PPP’s Sadia Danish.