Election Tribunal declares election for Gilgit-Baltistan Council Null and Void 

With reporting by Abdul Rehman Bukhari

Gilgit: An Election Tribunal on Thursday declared the recently held elections for Gilgit-Baltistan Council null and void, and instructed the GB Election Commission to conduct fresh polling to elect six members of the council.

The decision was announced in response to a petition filed by Ali Haider, a candidate for the GB Council. The petitioner had challenged the elections saying the show-of-hands method adopted for the elections was against the law.

The Tribunal judge Justice Muhamamd Alam said that changing the election rules after announcement of the schedule was illegal.

The federal government had amended the election rules to follow a “Show of Hands” methods, instead of secret ballot, against which several political parties had raised objections.

Election for the GB Council, headed by the Prime Minister, were held on 19 April. PM Nawaz Sharif had administered oath to the freshly elected members of the council.

The government can appeal in the Supreme Appellate Court against the Election Tribunal’s decision.