Gilgit-Baltistan Local Bodies Polls Postponed to September 27 Due to Muharram
The Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission has postponed local bodies elections, originally scheduled for August 2, to September 27, 2026. Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan announced the delay, citing requests from religious organizations to avoid holding polls during Muharram and Chehlum of Imam Hussain (RA). The local government elections, covering 1,343 wards, will be conducted on a party basis, with candidates required to be at least 25 years old.
Gilgit-Baltistan's Chief Election Commissioner, Raja Shahbaz Khan, announced on Monday the postponement of local bodies elections in the region. The polls, initially set for August 2, have been rescheduled for September 27, 2026.
The decision followed requests from several religious organizations, which urged the election commission not to hold the local bodies elections during Muharram and the Chehlum of Imam Hussain (RA).
Khan stated that the deadline for filing nomination papers was Monday, and in light of Muharram, the scrutiny date for these papers has been extended to August 10, 2026. The rescheduled polling for the local body elections will cover a total of 1,343 wards.
He emphasized that local government elections are a long-standing public demand and are expected to help resolve issues at the local level. These elections will be held on a party basis, prohibiting independent candidates, and the minimum age for a candidate is 25 years. Khan affirmed the GB Election Commission's commitment to fulfilling its constitutional and legal responsibilities for holding transparent, free, and fair elections.
During the same press conference, the Chief Election Commissioner also addressed matters related to recent legislative assembly elections. He announced decisions on 14 election petitions, upholding the validity of Form 47. However, decisions for two constituencies, GBA-13 Astore-I and GBA-16 Diamer-II, have been deferred until June 17.
Khan noted that despite attempts to create doubts on various media platforms regarding the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections, the commission conducted all electoral processes according to law and regulations. He mentioned that under the Elections Act 2017, results must be issued within 14 days, and delays occurred due to filed petitions and disputes. An election tribunal has been established for the final adjudication of such disputes. So far, final results (Form 49) have been released for 16 out of 24 constituencies, with an overall voter turnout of approximately 70 percent. Orders for repolling at various polling stations in GBA-8 Skardu-II, GBA-13 Astore-I, GBA-15 Diamer-I, GBA-16 Diamer-II, and GBA-17 Diamer-III have been suspended.
(Source: Dawn Pakistan)
