National ( The cow news digital ) Gilgit-Baltistan entered a crucial phase of its democratic process on Sunday as polling commenced across 24 constituencies for the regional assembly elections. Voting began at 8:00 a.m. and is scheduled to continue uninterrupted until 5:00 p.m., with authorities reporting a smooth start to the electoral exercise.
The elections are being held under heightened security measures to ensure a peaceful, transparent, and orderly voting process. More than 15,000 police personnel have been deployed across the region, while strict monitoring is in place at polling stations categorized as sensitive and highly sensitive. In Diamer district, Section 144 has been imposed to maintain law and order during the election period.
Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan visited several polling stations to review voting arrangements, security deployment, and overall polling conditions. He expressed satisfaction with the preparations and urged citizens to actively participate in the democratic process by casting their votes responsibly.
The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly consists of 33 seats, including 24 directly elected members, six reserved seats for women, and three seats allocated to technocrats. A political party or alliance will require at least 17 seats to secure a simple majority and form the next government.
A total of 396 candidates are contesting the elections, including 266 independent candidates. Major political parties have fielded candidates across multiple constituencies, making the contest highly competitive. The electoral race is being closely watched in politically significant districts such as Diamer and Skardu, which each have four constituencies and are expected to play a decisive role in shaping the final outcome.
According to election officials, 958,780 registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots. Of these, 503,772 are male voters, while 454,708 are female voters. Authorities have established 1,368 polling stations across the region, including 480 classified as highly sensitive, 350 as sensitive, and 457 as normal.
Election officials have called upon voters to uphold democratic values by participating peacefully and cooperating with polling staff and law enforcement agencies. Observers believe voter turnout and the performance of independent candidates could significantly influence the political landscape of Gilgit-Baltistan in the coming years.
The election results are expected to determine the future direction of governance and development in the strategically important region, making this one of the most closely followed elections in recent years.
