Protests over re-polling and delayed GB results keep Karakoram Highway blocked

GILGIT-BALTISTAN: Protests against re-polling orders and delays in the announcement of official results in several Gilgit-Baltistan constituencies continued for a third day, with demonstrators in Diamer and other areas keeping the Karakoram Highway closed.

The Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission had ordered re-polling in polling stations in Skardu-II (GBA-8), Astore-I (GBA-13), Diamer-I (GBA-15), Diamer-II (GBA-16) and Diamer-III (GBA-17), and directed that results of the June 7 election should not be consolidated until voting is held again in the five constituencies.

In Chilas, supporters of PPP candidate Attaullah from GBA-16 Diamer-II staged a sit-in outside the district returning officer’s office and blocked the Karakoram Highway. They demanded that postal ballots be counted and the final result for the constituency be announced without further delay, while also calling for the cancellation of re-polling at three polling stations. The highway has remained shut to traffic for three days, forcing travellers between Gilgit-Baltistan and other parts of the country to use Babusar Road and other alternate routes. Protesters briefly opened the road for two hours on Wednesday to let stranded passengers pass.

Demonstrators said they would continue their protest until official results were issued transparently. Speaking to the media, Attaullah said polling had taken place on June 7 in the presence of all polling agents and that Form 45 had been issued.

"Form 47 was also prepared on the basis of Form 45; now only the counting of postal ballots remains,"

He said delaying the postal ballot count while ordering re-polling was unacceptable, and alleged that an attempt was under way to deprive voters in GBA-16 Diamer-II of their mandate.

According to Form 47, independent candidate Imam Malik was shown as leading the PPP candidate by 24 votes. However, official figures showed Imam Malik had 180 postal votes while Attaullah had 473. Protesters claimed that Form 48 showed Attaullah had won by 269 votes, but alleged that the Election Commission had withheld Form 48 and instead ordered re-polling at three polling stations. They described the commission’s move as an excessive action that amounted to taking away the public mandate.

PPP supporters also held protests outside the Election Commission secretariat in Gilgit, where they blocked Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam and repeated their demand for the GBA-16 result to be issued after the counting of postal ballots, without re-polling at the three stations.

Objections raised in Ghizer and Skardu

In GBA-20 Ghizer-II, PPP candidate and Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly Speaker Nazir Ahmed Advocate protested the returning officer’s decision to declare the final result without a recount. Addressing supporters, he alleged that election authorities issued the official result despite an Election Commission order for a recount, and said officials later changed their stance by deciding not to implement that order.

In a separate development, the Election Commission withdrew its earlier order for re-polling at 10 polling stations in GBA-08 Skardu-II. A notification issued on June 10 said the commission had reviewed a fact-finding report submitted by the district returning officer after objections were raised to the basis of the June 8 re-poll order.

Voting at the relevant stations had been conducted peacefully and in line with the law, with no evidence of violence, intimidation, station capture, tampering of election material or any other irregularity that could have materially affected the transparency, fairness or result of the poll. The commission said the allegations used to seek re-polling had not been substantiated and that the legal requirements under Section 9 of the Elections Act, 2017, had not been met. It therefore withdrew the June 8 notification and directed the returning officer for GBA-08 Skardu-II to complete the remaining election process, including result consolidation, in accordance with the law.

After that order, the returning officer for GBA-08 declared Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen candidate Kazim Mesum the winner.

The commission also ordered an inquiry into alleged polling irregularities and corrupt and illegal practices in GBA-09 Skardu-III. In an order to the returning officer for GBA-9, the commission said an application submitted by Wazir Muhammad Saleem should be sent to the district returning officer, Skardu, for inquiry and report, and that Form-48 would remain suspended until the inquiry was completed.

"In view of the above directions of the Chief Election Commissioner, Gilgit-Baltistan, you are requested to examine the allegations raised in the applications and ascertain whether the polling process was obstructed, interrupted, suspended, prematurely terminated, or captured by any person or group of persons; whether it was affected by violence, disorder or unlawful interference; whether any ballot box, ballot papers or election material were snatched, stolen, tampered with or unlawfully removed; and whether polling staff or polling agents were prevented from performing their lawful functions, which may have materially affected the transparency, fairness or result of the poll,"

The order asked the district returning officer to submit clear findings and recommendations on an immediate basis.