Protests block Karakoram Highway for third day over re-polling, delayed GB poll results

GILGIT-BALTISTAN: Protests blocking the Karakoram Highway in Diamer and other areas continued for a third day against the repolling and delay in the announcement of official results in various constituencies.

Yesterday, the Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission ordered re-polling on polling stations in Skardu-II (GBA-8), Astore-I (GBA-13), Diamer-I (GBA-15), Diamer-II (GBA-16) and Diamer-III (GBA-17) and directed that the results of the June 7 election must not be consolidated until re-polling in five constituencies is completed.

Supporters of PPP candidate Attaullah from GBA-16 Diamer-II staged a protest outside the district returning officer’s office in Chilas, blocking the Karakoram Highway and demanding the counting of postal ballots and the announcement of the constituency’s final result without delay, as well as the cancellation of re-polling at three polling stations.

The Karakoram Highway has remained closed to all traffic for the third day. Travellers between Gilgit-Baltistan and other parts of the country faced difficulties and used Babusar Road and other alternative routes. However, on Wednesday, protesters temporarily reopened the highway for two hours to allow stranded passengers to pass.

Protesters said the protest would continue until the official results were issued “transparently”.

Speaking to the media, PPP candidate Attaullah said polling was held on June 7 in the presence of all agents and that Form 45 was issued.

“Form 47 was also prepared on the basis of Form 45; now only the counting of postal ballots remains,” he said.

He said that ordering re-polling by delaying the counting of postal ballots was “unacceptable” under any circumstances.

Attaullah alleged that an attempt was being made to snatch the public mandate in GBA-16 Diamer-II.

According to Form 47, independent candidate Imam Malik’s votes were shown to be 24 more than those of the PPP candidate. However, according to official figures, Imam Malik has 180 postal votes while Attaullah of the PPP has 473 postal votes.

The protesters claimed that, according to the clear record of Form 48, Attaullah had won the election by 269 votes.

They said the Election Commission had withheld Form 48 and issued a notification for repolling at three polling stations in the constituency.

They said the Commission’s decision for repolling was a “complete excess and robbery” of the public mandate.

The protesters also staged demonstrations outside the Election Commission’s secretariat in Gilgit, blocking Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam and demanding the announcement of GBA-16 results after the counting of postal ballots, without conducting re-polling at three stations.

Likewise, the PPP candidate for GBA-20 Ghizer-II also protested against the returning officer’s decision to announce the final result without conducting a recount.

Addressing supporters, PPP candidate and Speaker of the GB Assembly Nazir Ahmed Advocate alleged that election authorities had announced the official results without conducting a recount, despite the commission’s order.

He claimed that officials changed their position after deciding not to implement the recount order issued by the commission.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission withdrew its earlier notification ordering a re-poll at 10 polling stations in constituency GBA-08 Skardu-II.

According to a notification issued on June 10, the commission reviewed a fact-finding report submitted by the district returning officer, Skardu, following objections raised over the basis of the re-poll order issued on June 8.

The report concluded that polling at the concerned stations was conducted “peacefully and in accordance with the law, with no evidence of violence, intimidation, polling station capture, tampering of election material or any other irregularity” that could have materially affected the transparency, fairness or result of the poll.

The commission stated that the allegations supporting the request for a re-poll remained unsubstantiated and that the legal conditions required under Section 9 of the Elections Act, 2017, for ordering a re-poll had not been met.

The commission therefore withdrew the June 8 notification directing a re-poll and instructed the returning officer for GBA-08 Skardu-II to proceed with the remaining election process, including the consolidation of results, in accordance with the law.

Following the commission’s order, the returning officer for GBA-08 declared Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen’s (MWM) candidate, Kazim Mesum, the winner.

In another development, the commission ordered an investigation into polling irregularities and alleged corrupt and illegal practices in constituency GBA-09 Skardu-III.

An order issued by the commission to the returning officer GBA-9 said, “Application submitted by Wazir Muhammad Saleem be sent to the DRO, Skardu, for inquiry and report; whether the allegations levelled in the applications are correct? In the meantime, Form-48 will remain suspended till completion of the inquiry.”

“In view of the above directions of the Chief Election Commissioner, Gilgit-Baltistan, you are requested to examine the allegations raised in the applications and ascertain whether the polling process was obstructed, interrupted, suspended, prematurely terminated, or captured by any person or group of persons; whether it was affected by violence, disorder or unlawful interference; whether any ballot box, ballot papers or election material were snatched, stolen, tampered with or unlawfully removed; and whether polling staff or polling agents were prevented from performing their lawful functions, which may have materially affected the transparency, fairness or result of the poll,” the order read.

It urged the district returning officer (DRO) to provide clear findings and recommendations on an immediate basis for submission.