Gilgit-Baltistan elections

[Absar]

I see ... in last elections, PML-N in Punjab and MQM in Karachi had similar luck. There are only 23 results and if PPPP supporters are concentrated in a region then it is possible also keep in mind that other parties are not contesting against PPPP on wide scale so in some cases people don't have a choice.


I will wait till the end result is out though.

That makes sense too.
Yeah, let's wait till the final announcement. It's evident now anyway that PPP will win in G-B by substantial margin.

 

[SSGPA1]

I checked websites of major political parties and there is no info about this election. Only MQM had latest news regarding their candidates and this election and ANP had candidates' pic and profile.

I also looked for Gilgit Baltistan Democratic Alliance (GBDA) site but I couldn't find their site.

How is political activism and democracy going to flourish in Pakistan when major political parties show no interest?

Our politicians are simply garbage!

Musharraf was far better than this lot of useless people. He was able to motivate people.

Election Commision of Pakistan has no news either. This is insane.

 

[Absar]

I checked websites of major political parties and there is no info about this election. Only MQM had latest news regarding their candidates and this election and ANP had candidates' pic and profile.

I also looked for Gilgit Baltistan Democratic Alliance (GBDA) site but I couldn't find their site.

How is political activism and democracy going to flourish in Pakistan when major political parties show no interest?

Our politicians are simply garbage!

Musharraf was far better than this lot of useless people. He was able to motivate people.

Election Commision of Pakistan has no news either. This is insane.

Get updates from here: Gilgit Baltistan Election | Special Coverage | GEO TV Network

 

[Patriot]

PML-N gut their ***** handed to them by PPP in GB.
(I don't any party but its good to see the monkeys fighting each other and alleging elections are rigged on TV!)

 

[Omar1984]

 

[Omar1984]

 

[Omar1984]

 

[Omar1984]

Polling completed in Gilgit-Baltistan election
​

ISLAMABAD: Polling for 23 legislative seats in the Gilgit-Baltistan province got underway at 8:00 am on Thursday and was wrapped up by 4:00 pm.

The locals of the newly-formed province went to polling stations throughout the day and the first votes were cast at around 9:00am.

A total number of 256 candidates were vying for the 23 legislative assembly seats after weeks of campaigning.

The total number of registered voters in the province is over 700,000 and votes were cast in nearly 1000 polling stations.

Chief Election Commissioner for Baltistan Rahim Nawaz Durrani earlier said that the polls were expected to be trouble-free as all arrangements had been completed well in time.

Ten political parties including the PPP, PML-N , PML-Q , MQM , JUI-F , JI , ANP , PTI and the Gilgit-Baltistan Democratic Alliance were fielding 91 candidates. Additionally, 165 independent candidates were also contesting.

Polling continued till 4:00pm. —DawnNews

 

[Absar]

Updates:

PPP = 11

PML-N = 2

JUI(F) = 1

MQM = 1

PML-Q = 1

Independent Candidate = 4

20 seats announced out of 24

PPP is leading with substantial margin. It can adjust with Independent candidates, so it may not be in much need of PML-N or MQM etc. 4 seats still to go. Let's see who wins.

Source: GEO

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

So far the rigging allegations seem primarily centered around 'pre-poll rigging', with isolated cases of violence and intimidation, the protests centering on the announcement of various development schemes in G-B by the PPP.

I am not sure how valid such an allegation is - granted some might be influenced by the announcements, but I would also hope that people voted based on the candidates they though would actually deliver, and not merely make announcements.

A government cannot stop development projects or not publicize them just because elections are being held. IIRC, the PML-Q did the same thing in the 2008 elections, as the ruling party, and they still lost heavily, which to me indicates that the electorate based their vote on the overall performance of the PML-Q and General Musharraf.

IIRC, some independent observers were going to monitor the election - hopefully their conclusions will be out soon and indicate the polls were largely free and fair - for the sake of the democratic system in Pakistan.

We can't give Islamic extremists another reason to denigrate the democratic system.

 

[SSGPA1]

So far the rigging allegations seem primarily centered around 'pre-poll rigging', with isolated cases of violence and intimidation, the protests centering on the announcement of various development schemes in G-B by the PPP.

Ab itna to chalta hai Pakistan or no third world country can have completly free and fair elections.

I think this election was free and fair and MQM should concentrate on working for the people who have trusted them.

The most interesting twist for me is to see PML-Q winning two seats. This shows Gen. Musharraf's popularity in G-B.

ANP and PTI were no show from day one and they shouldn't complain either.

It will be ineteresting to see the Official results, I am very interested in analyzing how the votes were distributed and whether an alliance of say, PTI, PML-N and JI could have chnagedthe result.

At the same time I would also like to see how many times MQM stood third and by what margin. How MQM, PML-Q allinace could have changed the result for them?

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Pakistan's disputed Northern Areas go to polls​

Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:22am EST

By Manzar Shigri

GILGIT, Pakistan (Reuters) - Voters in Pakistan's mountainous far north went to the polls on Thursday to elect an assembly for their district as part of an autonomy package that has angered old rival India.

Pakistan's Northern Areas have never officially been part of the country, instead they have been a part of the Pakistani-controlled portion of the disputed Kashmir region since shortly after Pakistan's independence in 1947.

In August, Pakistan announced a plan aimed at giving more of a say to the people of the strategic region, renamed Gilgit-Baltistan, with a first step being an election for an assembly.

People of the sparsely populated region turned out in force to cast their votes.

"It's our basic right to have our own assembly and our own representatives," said Mohammad Owais, a 40-year-old shopkeeper standing in a long queue at a polling station in Gilgit, the region's main town. "Today we have been given this right."

The country's two main political parties, several smaller ones and independent candidates are competing for seats in a 24-member assembly.

Bordering China on one side and the mainly Buddhist Indian region of Ladakh on the other, the area is known to mountaineers as home to some of the world's highest peaks.

"HUE AND CRY"

Although Pakistan has held the region since its first war with India in 1948, its status was left in limbo as Pakistan had not wanted to compromise its case in the dispute over Kashmir.

The Himalayan region, which Pakistan and India both claim in full but rule in part, remains at the core of six decades of hostility between the now nuclear-armed neighbors.

In September, India protested to Pakistan over its reform package, saying it was meant to "camouflage Pakistan's illegal occupation" of the area. Pakistan dismissed India's objections.

But politicians in Pakistani Kashmir also oppose the reform package saying it is aimed at integrating Gilgit-Baltistan into Pakistan and would undermine their case for the independence of Kashmir from India.

About 300 activists from Kashmiri groups marked the election with a protest in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir.

"Pakistan's expansionist designs in Gilgit-Baltistan are unacceptable," read a banner carried by some protesters.

Many of the 1.5 million people of Gilgit-Baltistan oppose integration into Kashmir and want their area to be merged into Pakistan and declared a separate province.

"It's an old habit of Kashmiri politicians to raise a hue and cry under the pretext of the Kashmir dispute whenever efforts are made to give us our basic rights," said Hussain Ali Rana, a politician in Gilgit.

"If people in (Indian) occupied and Azad (Pakistani) Kashmir can have their own assemblies, why can't we?"

(Additional reporting by Abu Arqam Naqash; Writing by Zeeshan Haider; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Pakistan's disputed Northern Areas go to polls | Reuters

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan view:

Pakistan Christian Post

 

[SSGPA1]

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan view:

Pakistan Christian Post

Very nice and short report. I fully endorse their recommendations and as a Pakistani, I think these should be made part of the constitution.

 

[Omar1984]

PPP close to majority in GB polls
​

* Unofficial results for 18 seats show ruling party candidates have won elections for nine seats
* PML-N bags three seats
* PML-Q, JUI-F, MQM bag one seat each

Daily Times Monitor

LAHORE: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has scored a resounding victory in the polls for the 24-member Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly with counting still underway – according to unofficial results – winning nine of the 23 seats up for grabs.

According to the unofficial results for 18 seats which were revealed on Thursday – the PPP is leading the pack of political parties with 10 seats, followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with three seats and the PML-Quaid, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl with one seat each. Independent candidates have won three seats.

According to the unofficial results; PPP candidate Mehdi Hassan Shah secured 5,995 votes to win the election for Skardu-1 (Legislative Assembly seat No 7), PPP candidate Nisar Hussain secured 8,077 votes to win the election for Sakardu-12 (LA-8), PPP candidate Syed Muhammad Ali secured 3,145 votes to win the election for Sakardu-5 (LA-11), MQM candidate Raja Azam secured 9,300 votes to win the election for Skardu-6 (LA-12), PML-Q candidate Shabir Ahmad secured 2,726 votes to win the election for Diamir-1 (LA-15), PML-N candidate Haji Janbaz secured 2,264 votes to win the election for Diamir-2 (LA-16), independent candidate Abdul Hameed won the election for Astore-2 (LA-13), PPP candidate Muhammad Nasir secured 1,911 votes to win the election for Astore-2 (LA-14), JUI-F candidate Gulber Khan secured 2,793 votes to win the election for Diamir-4 (LA-18), PML-N candidate Sultan Madad secured 1,851 votes to win the election for Ghizar-2 (LA-20), PPP candidate Ghulam Muhammad secured 4,944 votes to win the election for Ghizar-3 (LA-21), PML-N candidate Muhammad Abdullah secured 9,240 votes to win the election for Ghanche-2 (LA-23), PPP candidate Muhammad Ismail secured 2,270 votes to win the election for Ghanche-3 (LA-24), PPP candidate Wazir Shakeel Ahmad secured 6,402 votes to win the election for Skardu-3 (LA-9), independent candidate Raziuddin secured 10,012 votes to win the election for Gilgit-1 (LA-1), independent candidate Deedar Ali secured 4,787 votes to win the election for Gilgit-2 (LA-2), and PPP candidate Wazir Hussain won the election for Skardu-4 (LA-10).

Also, PPP candidate Wazir Baig is headed towards success in Gilgit-6 (LA-6).

According to a private TV channel, re-polling will be held in Gilgit-3 (LA-3) today (Friday).

However, the unofficial figures are not confirmation of the final results.

The total number of registered voters is 717,286, and over 250 candidates are participating in the elections for the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly.

Polling for Gilgit-Baltistan-19 has been delayed because of the death of MQM candidate Sher Bahadur Khan.

Polling for the remaining seats on Thursday began at 8am and continued until 4pm without any break.