GILGIT: Election campaigning for the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections officially ended at midnight on Friday, marking the start of a mandatory 48-hour silence period ahead of polling scheduled for June 7.
With the deadline taking effect at 12:00am, all public meetings, rallies, processions, corner meetings and other forms of electioneering ceased across the region in accordance with the Election Act 2017 and the code of conduct issued by the Election Commission of Gilgit-Baltistan.
On the final day of campaigning, political parties and independent candidates held rallies, public gatherings and door-to-door outreach activities across various constituencies in a last effort to mobilise voters before the campaign ban came into force.
Election authorities have warned that candidates, political parties, supporters and election agents are prohibited from organising, promoting or participating in any election-related activity during the 48 hours preceding polling. The use of loudspeakers, canvassing and any attempt to influence voters during the silence period are also banned under the law.
The Election Commission of Gilgit-Baltistan has urged all stakeholders to strictly adhere to the code of conduct and help maintain a peaceful environment in the lead-up to polling day. Officials have warned that legal action will be taken against individuals or groups found violating election rules.
Meanwhile, district administrations and election authorities say preparations for polling have been completed, including the distribution of election materials, training of polling staff and deployment of security personnel across the region to ensure that voting takes place in a peaceful, free, fair and transparent manner.
About the Elections
The June 7 election will determine the composition of the 33-member Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, the region’s legislative body. Of the total seats, 24 are filled through direct elections, while the remaining seats are reserved for women and technocrats and are allocated to political parties based on their electoral performance.
Around a million registered voters are expected to cast their ballots across Gilgit-Baltistan’s ten districts, choosing representatives for constituencies spread across some of the most mountainous and geographically challenging terrain in the world.
A Contested Political Landscape
The 2025 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections are taking place against a backdrop of political controversy and restrictions affecting several opposition and nationalist groups.
Supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is unable to contest the elections under its traditional electoral symbol, forcing PTI-backed candidates to run as independents or under alternative arrangements. Political observers say the absence of the party’s symbol has created challenges for voter mobilisation and identification, particularly in remote constituencies. Some of PTI’s leaders were also expelled from the region for allegedly not getting a no-objection-certificate from the election commission.
The elections are also being held while several prominent progressive and nationalist political activists remain incarcerated. Among them are Awami Action Committee leader Ehsan Ali Advocate, Karakoram National Movement (KNM) leader Taaruf Abbas, Hasnain Ramal and other political activists whose arrests have drawn criticism from civil society groups and rights advocates.
Supporters of these leaders argue that their detention has limited political participation and narrowed the democratic space in the region, while authorities maintain that legal proceedings are being conducted in accordance with the law in “unrelated cases”.
These developments have added another layer of significance to an election that is already being closely watched across Gilgit-Baltistan, where debates over constitutional rights, political representation, governance and regional autonomy continue to shape public discourse.
Security Arrangements
Authorities have put in place extensive security measures across Gilgit-Baltistan to ensure a peaceful and orderly polling process. Thousands of personnel from various law enforcement agencies have been deployed throughout the region, with special attention given to sensitive polling stations and constituencies.
In addition to local security forces, around 6,000 personnel from Punjab Police have been deployed to assist in maintaining law and order during the elections. The Gilgit-Baltistan Police, Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts, and other law enforcement and security agencies remain on high alert as polling day approaches.
According to Gilgit-Baltistan Police, more than 700 political rallies, processions, public meetings, and corner gatherings were held across the region’s ten districts during the election campaign. Despite the intense political activity, the campaign period remained largely peaceful, with no major incidents of political violence or unrest reported.
However, a few isolated incidents were recorded. In Diamer district, two workers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lost their lives after a man allegedly lost control of a firearm while firing aerial shots during a political gathering. The incident was described as accidental, and authorities launched an investigation.
In the Rondu Valley of Skardu district, journalist Iqbal Salik was reportedly assaulted by a group of individuals during the election campaign. Police subsequently arrested the suspects and registered a case against them. The incident drew condemnation from media organizations and rights advocates, who called for the protection of journalists covering the electoral process.
Election authorities and security officials have expressed confidence that the coordinated deployment of personnel and security resources will help ensure that voting takes place in a peaceful, free, fair, and transparent environment across Gilgit-Baltistan.
Gilgit-Baltistan’s Constitutional Position
Gilgit-Baltistan occupies a unique constitutional and political position within Pakistan. The region is administered by Pakistan and has its own elected assembly and government, but it is not formally recognised as a province under Pakistan’s Constitution.
Gilgit-Baltistan has a unique constitutional and political status within Pakistan. The region was ruled by the Dogra Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir until 1947, when local forces, including members of the Gilgit Scouts and volunteers from across the region, revolted against Dogra rule. Following the liberation of Gilgit on November 1, 1947, fighters from Gilgit-Baltistan continued military operations in various parts of the region, helping secure areas that now form Gilgit-Baltistan. The conflict, often described locally as a freedom struggle, continued for more than a year and ended the Maharaja’s authority in the region. Despite this history, Gilgit-Baltistan remains linked to the broader Kashmir dispute at the international level. Consequently, successive governments in Pakistan have extended varying degrees of self-governance to the region through administrative and legal reforms, while stopping short of granting it full constitutional provincial status.
The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly legislates on a range of local matters, while key constitutional, judicial and administrative powers continue to be exercised under arrangements defined by the federal government. Despite ongoing debates about representation, constitutional rights and provincial status, the assembly elections remain the region’s most significant democratic exercise and a key mechanism through which residents influence governance and development priorities.
Polling will begin on Saturday morning and continue until the close of voting, after which vote counting and the announcement of results will commence. Election authorities have expressed confidence that the electoral process will be conducted peacefully and transparently across the region.
