GILGIT: The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf bagged four seats of the Gilgit-Baltistan Council and the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party managed to secure one seat each during the election of the six members held here on Friday.

According to the election commission, 10 candidates from PTI, PPP, PML-N and two independents were in the fray. The election was held in GB Assembly, where all the 33 members of the house chose their candidates through show of hand.

The PTI has 20 members in the assembly, its allied Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen Pakistan three, PPP four, PML-N three, and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, Balwaristan National Front-Naji Group and Islami Tehreek Pakistan have one member each.

According to unofficial and unconfirmed results, PTI’s Hashmatullah Khan and Syed Shabeehul Hasnain from Astore, Abdul Rehman from Diamer and Ahmed Ali Noori from Skardu secured the five required votes to win a seat.

PTI’s Raja Shehbaz Khan could secure only three votes, and Sabir Hussain got no vote.

PPP’s Mohammad Ayub Shah from Ghizer secured five votes to win a seat. He secured four votes of his own party and one from BNF-Naji Group.

PML-N’s Iqbal Naseer from Diamer got five votes, three from his own party and one vote each from JUI-F and Islami Tehreek Pakistan.

Independent candidates, Attaullah, Dilpazer, couldn’t get any vote.

Supporters of the wining candidates chanted slogans in their favour outside the assembly hall.

The tenure of the current members of the GB Council had ended in April this year.

The council was established under the GB Empowerment and Self-Governance Order, 2009.

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

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2021