Repolling is under way at three polling stations in Gilgit-Baltistan’s GBA-16 (Diamer-II) constituency, where Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Attaullah Shah and Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) candidate Imam Malik are competing again.
A total of 2,780 registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots. Polling will continue until 5pm, while voters present inside polling stations at closing time will be allowed to vote.
Malik contested the June elections as an independent candidate before joining the IPP. The Election Commission initially declared him the returned candidate for GBA-16.
However, his membership was suspended in September after Shah challenged the result before an election tribunal. Shah argued that the returning officer had issued Form-49 without including the postal ballots in the count.
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In an order issued on September 11, the tribunal directed the returning officer to complete the verification and counting of postal ballots by September 16. It also suspended Malik’s membership pending the process.
Following the verification and counting, Shah was declared the winner on September 14. According to the revised consolidated results issued by the Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission on Form-49, Shah secured 6,618 votes, defeating Malik by a margin of just 13 votes.
Appellate court upholds election tribunal’s decision
Malik challenged the tribunal’s decision before the Gilgit-Baltistan Supreme Appellate Court.
On September 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 subsequently challenged the results at three polling stations and approached the election tribunal, seeking a fresh vote.
The tribunal accepted his petition, suspended Shah’s membership and directed the chief election commissioner to conduct repolling at the three polling stations within 12 days of November 6.
The latest polling will determine the outcome of the closely contested GBA-16 seat.
