GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan chief election commissioner has announced that the GB Assembly and local government elections will be conducted in April or May next year. He said the long-delayed LG elections would be held on a party basis.

The five-year tenure of the GB Assembly was completed on Nov 24, and caretaker Chief Minister Yar Muhammad was sworn in on Nov 26.

Addressing a press conference in Gilgit, CEC Raja Shahbaz Khan said the polling day for the GB Assembly elections had earlier been announced for Jan 24 next year and that of LG polls for Feb 14.

“However, on the demand of political parties, and in view of the harsh weather conditions in the region, the polling days for both the GB Assembly and LG elections have been delayed, and a new election schedule will be issued accordingly,” he added.

CEC Khan said the revised schedule for both elections would be issued in April or May 2026, both elections would be conducted simultaneously during this period. He said that according to rules, once the election schedule is formally issued, no federal minister and the prime minister would be allowed to visit the region without prior permission from the GB Election Commission.

Says long-delayed local bodies’ elections will be held on party basis

The CEC said that local bodies’ elections in GB had not been held for the past 21 years, depriving the people of their democratic right. He stressed that LG elections would be conducted at all costs to ensure the people’s right to elect their representatives, hoping that the elected bodies would address local and civic issues in the region.

“Under the GB Order 2018 and election laws, the authority to conduct assembly and local government elections rests with the GB Election Commission,” he said, reiterating that both elections would be held on a party basis.

CEC Khan said that according to the latest census, GB has a total population of 1,709,049.

He said the region has 163 union councils, 10 district councils, five town committees, eight municipal committees and three municipal corporations.

The total number of local government representatives in GB stands at 1,719, including 1,303 general members and 416 women members.

He said the Local Government Act was enforced in the region on July 18, 2023. Reiterating the commission’s commitment, he said the elections would be conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner, and appealed to the people to exercise their right to vote to elect their representatives.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2025