ISLAMABAD: As elections for the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly are around the corner, electioneering has gained its zenith with national leaders and individual candidates making all-out efforts to woo the polarized voters.
A total of 24 GBLA seats are up for the grabs, with a few exceptions, a hotly contested poll is expected between three mainstream parties — the PTI, the PPP and the PML-N — in most constituencies.
The region, which is struggling to integrate in Pakistan since 1947, has gained enhance geopolitical importance and attention in the mainstream media after Prime Minister Imran Khan, on November 1, announced to elevate GB to the status of its fifth provincial province in the light of UN resolutions.
In GB, mostly voters’ tilt varies from constituency to constituency based on brotherism and sectarian lines, this time around, PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Maryam Nawaz and PTI ministers have tried to reach out to voters in every nook and corner of the mountainous region with different promises including making it the fifth provisional province.
Political pundits claim that the PPP is making steady inroads in most constituencies followed by the PTI and the PML-N.
However, given the past record, it is believed that the ruling party in the centre – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – may wear the royal cap as it has been the practice that whosoever rules Islamabad, controls Gilgit-Baltistan.
GB, which is still disputed and Pakistan’s control under UN resolutions, unconditionally acceded to Pakistan on November 1, 1947 following the chaotic partition, when locals led by Gilgit Scouts rebelled against Dogra Raj and ousted Governor Gansara Singh and invited Pakistan to take formally charge of the region.
Since then, the political fate of the region is a limbo as Pakistan has neither established an AJK-like set-up there neither has fully integrated, despite the fact that a majority of people want to be fully-fledged and bonafied citizens of Pakistan with voting rights and representation in Parliament and other constitutional bodies including in CCI, NFC etc.
According to National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and Election Commission of Gilgit Baltistan, there are 6, 18,364 registered voters in the valley of which 3, 29,475 are men and 2, 88,889 are women.
An estimated 700,000 people will exercise their right to franchise to elect 24 legislators. There are six seats reserved for women and three for technocrats.
Three members of the legislative assembly will be elected from central Gilgit, three from District Hunza Nagar, six from Skardu, two from Astor, four from Diamer, three from Ghizer and three from Ganche. And 14 seats are required to form the government.
The territory of Gilgit-Baltistan was granted limited autonomy in 2009 after the then-President Asif Ali Zardari signed the Empowerment and Self Governance Order in a bid to empower its over 1 million population.
PPP won the first elections in 2009 while PML-N emerged victorious in the second election, winning 22 seats out of a total of 33. The 2020 polls were originally scheduled to be held in July but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
About 1,234 polling stations have been set up in 24 constituencies, of which 415 had been declared extremely sensitive. Police, GB Scouts, the Rangers and FC personnel would be deployed to ensure a smooth election process.
In 2009, Pakistan People’s Party won the majority and secured 14 out of 24 seats in the election, winning 33.08% of votes. PPP’s Syed Mehdi Shah was unanimously elected as the first Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan by the Assembly.
In 2015, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz won the second election and secured 16 out of 24 seats.
This time, Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman of PML-N was elected as the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020