Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman rejected the recent Gilgit-Baltistan general elections results during a press conference in Peshawar. Alongside Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and PTI’s Asad Qaiser, Fazl stated that the electoral outcome was unacceptable. He emphasized the need for political unity on national issues and called for federal government confidence-building measures.
Unofficial results showed PPP leading with 11 of 24 seats contested in Sunday’s polls. PML-N led five constituencies; PTI three; its ally MWM one; and independents two. No party secured a majority. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan alleged electoral irregularities, claiming his party won all eight seats before final results. He also accused authorities of pre-poll rigging.
Senate Opposition Leader Raja Nasir Abbas of the MWM alleged large-scale manipulation, citing delays in result announcements and selective dissemination of outcomes. The Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan alliance led by Mahmood Khan Achakzai termed elections a replay of 2024 general polls and rejected results outright.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Gilgit-Baltistan’s people, praising the Election Commission for ensuring a fair process. Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan ordered repolling at five polling stations following losing candidates’ petitions, with additional repolling on June 15 in one GBA-15 and four GBA-16 stations.