PML-N convenes parliamentary board meeting for Gilgit-Baltistan polls

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Sunday convened an important meeting of its parliamentary board to finalise candidates for the 2026 general elections of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly.

The meeting of the 23-member parliamentary board was chaired by PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, according to the party proceedings reported on Sunday.

When Nawaz Sharif arrived at the venue, he was received by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

The parliamentary board has been assigned the task of selecting what the party described as suitable candidates for the upcoming Gilgit-Baltistan elections.

Several senior party leaders attended the session. Those present included PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Khawaja Saad Rafique and PML-N Gilgit-Baltistan president Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman.

Candidate selection process

The meeting marked the start of a key phase in the party’s preparations for the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly elections scheduled for 2026. The parliamentary board is responsible for reviewing and finalising the names of candidates who will contest the polls on the party’s ticket.

The presence of the party’s top leadership underscored the importance PML-N is attaching to the electoral process in Gilgit-Baltistan. Nawaz Sharif led the meeting in his capacity as party president, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar and Maryam Nawaz Sharif were also present at the venue as the session got under way.

Other senior figures of the party also joined the deliberations, including Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Khawaja Saad Rafique. Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman, who heads the party in Gilgit-Baltistan, was also among the participants.

The board’s deliberations are focused on choosing candidates for the next Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections. No further details about the outcome of the meeting were stated in the report.

The development comes as political parties continue preparations for the next electoral contest in Gilgit-Baltistan, with PML-N moving to complete its internal process for awarding party tickets through its parliamentary board.