• Imran-led party bags 10 seats against PPP’s three and PML-N’s two
• MWM secures one seat
• Independent candidates emerge victorious in seven constituencies

GILGIT: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has emerged as the single largest party in the elections for the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly by securing 10 seats, followed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) which got three seats and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) two seats.

Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) won one seat. Seven seats of the GBLA have been won by independent candidates.

According to unofficial results, PPP’s candidate Amjad Hussain won the GBLA-01 (Gilgit) seat by securing 11,178 votes. Independent candidate Sultan Raees was runner-up with 8,356 votes.

In GBLA-02 (Gilgit-II) constituency, PTI’s Fatehullah Khan was declared winner with a lead of only two votes after the recounting of votes. He received 6,696 votes against 6,694 bagged by PPP’s Jameel Ahmed.

Earlier, PPP’s Jameel Ahmed was declared winner with 8,817 votes against 8,200 secured by PTI candidate Fatehullah Khan. But the recounting of votes turned the tables.

GBLA-04 (Nagar-I) constituency was won by PPP’s Ajmad Hussain who got 5,716 votes, trailed by Islami Tehreek Pakistan’s candidate Mohammad Ayub with 5,061 votes.

Independent candidate Javed Manwa won GBLA-05 (Nagar-II) constituency by securing 2,570 votes. MWM’s Rizwan Ali, who got 1,850 votes, came on second position.

In GBLA-06 (Hunza) constituency, PTI’s Ubaidullah Baig was declared winner with 6,600 votes. Independent candidate Noor Mohammad was runner-up with 3,910 votes.

PTI candidate Zakariya Khan won GBLA-07 (Skardu-I) constituency by securing 5,290 votes against 4,114 votes received by PPP’s Syed Mehdi Shah.

In GBLA-08 (Skardu-II) constituency, MWM candidate Mohammad Kazim was declared winner with 7,534 votes, trailed by PPP’s Mohammad Ali Shah who received 7,146 votes.

Independent candidate Mohammad Salim won GBLA-09 (Skardu-III) constituency after securing 6,865 votes. PTI’s Muhammad Nashad was runner-up with 5,236 votes.

In GBLA-10 (Skardu-IV) constituency, independent candidate Raja Nasir Khan was declared with 5,124 votes. PTI’s Wazir Hassan came on the second position with 3,668 votes.

PTI’s Amjad Ali Zaidi won GBLA-11 (Kharmang-I) constituency after getting 5,872 votes. Independent candidate Iqbal Hussain was runner-up with 2,659 votes.

In GBLA-12 constituency, PTI’s candidate Raja Azam Khan was declared winner with 10,674 votes, trailed by PPP’s Imran Nadeem who got 8,886 votes.

PTI’s Khalid Khursheed secured 4,836 votes and won GBLA-13 (Astore-I) constituency after defeating PPP’s Abdul Hameed who got 3,117 votes.

In GBLA-14 (Astore-II) constituency, PTI’s Shamul Haq was declared winner with 5,354 votes, trailed by PPP’s Muzaffar Ali who got 3,479 votes.

PTI’s Shamul Haq secured 5,354 votes and won GBLA-14 (Astore-II) constituency after defeating PPP’s Muzaffar Ali who got 3,479 votes.

In GBLA-15 (Diamer-I) constituency, independent candidate Haji Shah Baig was declared winner with 2,713 votes.

PML-N candidate Muhammad Anwar won GBLA-16 (Diamer-II) constituency by securing 4,813 votes against independent candidate Ataullah who received 4,314 votes.

In GBLA-17 Diamer-III constituency, PTI candidate Haji Hyder Ali was declared winner. He received 5,389 votes against 5,162 secured by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) candidate Rehmat Khaliq.

In GBLA-18 (Diamer-IV) constituency, PTI candidate Haji Gulbar Khan was declared winner with 6,793 votes. Independent candidate Kifayatur Rehman was runner-up with 5,986 votes.

Independent candidate Nawaz Khan Naji with the support of BNF (Naji group) won GBLA-19 (Ghizer-I) constituency by securing 6,208 votes.

In GBLA-20 (Ghizer-II) constituency, PTI candidate Nazeer Ahmed was declared winner with 5,582 votes. PML-Q candidate Akbar Khan, who received 3,815 votes, came on the second position.

PML-N’s Ghulam Mohammad won GBLA-21 (Ghizer-III) constituency after securing 1,911 votes. He defeated PTI’s Raja Jahanzeb who got 1,750 votes.

In GBLA-22 (Ghanche-I) constituency, independent candidate Mushtaq Hussain grabbed victory by securing 6,051 votes. PTI’s Ibrahim Sanai with 4,945 votes came on the second position.

In GBLA-23 (Ghanche-II) constituency, independent candidate Abdul Hameed was declared winner with 3,666 votes. PTI’s Amna Bibi Ansari was runner-up with 3,296 votes.

PPP’s Mohammad Ismail won the GBLA-24 (Ghanche-III) seat by securing 6,206 votes. He defeated PTI’s Shams Uddin who got 5,361 votes.

The election for GBLA-03 (Gilgit) will be held on Nov 22. The election in this constituency was postponed after the death of PTI candidate Jaffar Shah, who was the president for the party’s GB chapter.

Observers believe that independent candidates will play a decisive role in formation of the government in the region.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2020