GILGIT: Re-polling was held at three polling stations in Gilgit-Baltistan’s GBA-16 (Diamer-II) on Sunday, with PPP staging protests in Diamer’s Chilas, as well as Gilgit, against alleged electoral malpractice by the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP).

PPP’s Attaullah Shah and IPP’s Imam Malik are the main contenders vying for the seat in the partial repolling, held after an election tribunal accepted Malik’s plea and suspended Shah’s assembly membership.

The electoral process began at 8am and continued until 5pm, with voters present within the polling station premises at that time allowed to cast their votes. A total of 2,780 registered voters were eligible.

However, after polling concluded, supporters of Shah took to the streets in Diamer district’s Chilas and Gilgit against the alleged removal of ballot boxes from a women’s polling station in Thore Valley.

In a statement, the GB Police spokesperson said legal action has been initiated against those who “took away polling material” from the Wara polling station, and a first information report (FIR) under terrorism charges has been registered.

The case invoked sections 34 (common intention), 147 (punishment for rioting), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence), 186 (obstructing public servant), 353 (criminal force to deter public servant from duty) and 392 (punishment for robbery) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), as well as sections 6 and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).

“The situation is peaceful in the remaining two polling stations,” the police statement affirmed.

It warned that strict action under the law will be taken against those who take the law into their hands and block the highways, noting that some of those were already wanted by the police.

When contacted, GB Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan told Dawn that an investigation was under way into the allegations.

He noted that foolproof security was provided at the stations, urging people not to take the law into their hands. The election commissioner affirmed that the matter will be resolved.

The PPP supporters staged demonstrations on the Karakoram Highway near Chilas, as well as outside the GB Assembly hall in Gilgit, and vowed not to let the public mandate be stolen.

Outside the assembly, demonstrators burnt tyres to block the road. One of the protesters, Rehman Deralo, claimed that Malik and others accompanying him entered a polling station and took away ballot boxes and other polling material.

PPP workers also staged a protest at Gilgit’s Etihad Chowk, chanting slogans and burning tyres to block the routes.

Imtiaz Gilgiti from People’s Youth Organisation, the PPP’s youth wing, said Shah had secured votes from the rival candidate’s hometown and therefore, Malik allegedly stole ballot boxes.

Addressing protesters in Gilgit, local PPP leader Shahzad Agha claimed Shah was winning in the polls, but his opponent violated the law and stole the ballot boxes.

The former GB minister also termed it negligence by the relevant administration and polling security. “Even if re-polling is conducted 10 times in Diamer, Attaullah will emerge victorious,” Agha contended.

Earlier during the day, a source told Dawn that IPP’s Malik had allegedly slapped Polling Officer Dr Maria at the Sarai polling station, adding that the overall polling process remained largely peaceful despite minor unpleasant incidents.

Electoral dispute

Among the two candidates, Malik had contested the June elections in Gilgit-Baltistan as an independent candidate, but had later joined the IPP.

Initially, the Election Commission had declared him the returned candidate for GBA-16 (Diamer-II), but his membership was suspended in September after Shah filed a petition before an election tribunal. The plea contended that the returning officer (RO) had issued Form-49 without counting the postal ballots.

In its order on Sept 11, the tribunal directed the relevant RO to complete the verification and counting of postal ballot papers by September 16 and, meanwhile, suspended Malik’s membership.

Subsequently, the counting and verification of postal ballots for GBA-16 (Diamer-II) was held and Shah was declared the winner on Sept 14. According to the revi­sed consolidated results issued by the GB Election Com­mission on Form-49, Shah secured 6,618 votes, defeating Malik by a margin of just 13 votes.

But then, Malik had challenged the tribunal’s decision before the GB Supreme Appellate Court.

On Sept 19, the appellate court dismissed his appeal against the suspension of his membership and upheld the tribunal’s decision declaring Shah the returned candidate.

Malik later again challenged the results at three polling stations and petitioned the election tribunal to order re-polling.

The tribunal accepted his plea and suspended Shah’s membership and directed the chief election commissioner to conduct re-polling at the three polling stations within 12 days of Nov 6.