GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan has announced that local bodies polls in the region will be held in the first week of November.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, he said it would be after 18 years that people of GB would use their right to franchise and elect representatives at the municipal level. With the support of the government, the Local Bodies Act, 2014 has been enforced from July 23, he said.

CEC Khan said that demarcation of boundaries in preparation for the delimitation process has already started, adding that officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan would be invited to train the staff of GB election commission, local government department and revenue department to conduct the exercise.

Meanwhile, the regional election watchdog issued schedule for the by-election in GB Assembly constituency of Astore (13).

According to the schedule, polling will be held on Sept 9.

The seat fell vacant after the disqualification of former chief minister Khalid Khurshid Khan in the fake degree case.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2023