Lessons from GB elections

THE June 07 elections in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) produced no clear winner but the region is expected to witness an extension of the coalition arrangement at the Centre, with the only difference that instead of PML(N), the coalition will be headed by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which emerged as the single largest party. The PPP got 11 seats, followed by PML(N) 06, independents 04, PTI backed candidates 02 and its ally MWM 01. It was a hotly contested election participated by all major parties and electables and attracted senior political leadership to the region to promote prospects of victory for their candidates. As was expected, the opposition PTI has leveled allegations of rigging with its Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan claiming the party was barred from campaigning in the days leading up to the election and that it was part of a “planned arrangement aimed at eliminating the party from the polls”. He alleged that due to “rigging, vote-stuffing and the casting of bogus votes”, PTI’s “victory” was overturned. His version of voting notwithstanding, there was no worthwhile complaint or substantive allegations of rigging barring sporadic instances that are normal in every election. The outcome of the polls was surprising in the sense that normally the party in power in Islamabad had been winning GB elections in the past but this time PML(N) lost it to the coalition partner PPP. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has displayed sportsman spirit by extending congratulations to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan on the successful, transparent, peaceful and politically vibrant conduct of the general election and felicitated the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for emerging as the largest political party in the region. The PM also congratulated the successful candidates of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) who put up strong competition, besides praising the party’s team for their hard work and dedication. He said the party’s team had worked hard during the campaign and d