GILGIT: Election for six seats of the Gilgit-Baltistan Council will be held in the regional assembly’s main hall here today (Friday).

Thirty-three assembly members will elect six council members for the next five years by a show of hands.

GB Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan told a news conference here on Thursday that there were 10 candidates, who needed five votes each for election.

The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf fielded Abdul Rehman, Shabiul Hasan, Hashmatullah Khan, Sabir Hussain and Ahmed Ali and Raja Shahbaz Khan, while the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz awarded ticket to Ayub Shah and Iqbal Naseer, respectively.

Abdul Rehman and Attaullah will contest election as independent candidates.

The PTI has 20 members in the house, its allied Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen Pakistan three, PPP four, PML-N three, and JUI-F, BNF-Naji Group and Islami Tehreek Pakistan (ITP) one each.

According to observers, the PTI and allied MWM is likely to bag four seats easily. However, a tough contest is likely among PTI, PPP and PML-N for the two other seats.

The PTI needs two more votes to win the fifth council seat, while the PPP requires one vote to win a seat. The PML-N needs two votes to win a seat.

The single votes of JUI-F, BNF and ITP will prove decisive for victory on the remaining two seats.

Six members of the GB Council come from the National Assembly, while six are elected by the GB Assembly. With prime minister as its chairman and GB governor vice-chairman, the council has powers to legislate on important regional subjects, including power and forest.

REPORT ON CHILD MARRIAGE: The Population Council released a report here on Thursday revealing Gilgit-Baltistan has the highest rate of underage marriages in the country.

According to the report, 26.78 per cent of women aged 20-24 years get married in Gilgit-Baltistan before reaching their 18th birthday, while around seven per cent are married before 15 years of age.

The report said Diamer district in GB region had the highest percentage of girls marrying early.

According to it, 47 per cent of girls reported being married before 18 years of age in the district followed by Shigar (39.5 per cent) and Ghanche (27.7 per cent).

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2021