The Election Commission of Gilgit-Baltistan has officially notified returned candidates from 21 constituencies and allocated nine reserved seats, with the Pakistan Peoples Party emerging as the largest party with 13 seats.
Results from three constituencies remain withheld pending court petitions, ahead of the assembly's first session scheduled for Sunday.
What is the current party-wise strength in the GB Assembly?
According to the official notification, the PPP has emerged as the largest parliamentary party with 13 seats, followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz with nine seats, the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party with six seats, Majlis Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen with one seat, and one Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed independent member.
On general seats, the PPP secured nine, PML-N six, IPP four, and MWM one, with one constituency won by an independent candidate.
The PPP was allocated three reserved seats for women, PML-N two, and IPP one, while the three technocrat seats were split evenly among the PPP, PML-N, and IPP.
Why are results of three constituencies still withheld?
ECGB spokesperson Bahadur Jameel told Nukta that results from three constituencies have been withheld due to petitions filed in the Supreme Appellate Court GB challenging the outcomes.
He said that, according to Forms 45 and 47, the PPP had won two of these seats and PML-N one, but the results remain on hold pending the cases, which are fixed for final hearing on July 2.
The returned candidates for these seats will be officially notified after that hearing.
Who will form the government in Gilgit-Baltistan?
The first session of the legislative assembly is scheduled for June 21, during which newly elected members will take oath. The session will also include elections for the speaker and deputy speaker, followed by the election of the chief minister.
PML-N leader and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has already announced that his party will sit on the opposition benches but vote to support the PPP in forming a stable government. The PPP is also in talks with the IPP to finalize the administration's composition.
The final composition of the 33-member assembly will be confirmed once results from the remaining three constituencies are notified, a development expected to further shape the balance of power.
Local journalist Zakir Baltistani told Nukta that while the PPP is the largest party, it still lacks the numbers to form a government on its own, increasing the importance of IPP's support.
"If PPP succeeds in forming the government, PML-N will sit in opposition as it does not want a coalition government with PPP," he said.
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