GB Local Bodies Polls Shifted to Sept 27 Over Muharram

The Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission on Monday postponed the region’s local bodies elections, moving polling from August 2 to September 27 after concerns were raised over the timing of the vote during Muharram and Chehlum-related observances. The announcement was made in Gilgit by Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan.

The decision changes the political calendar for a region where local government elections have long been demanded by residents seeking stronger representation at the grassroots level. The revised schedule gives candidates, political parties and election staff additional time to prepare while avoiding a period considered religiously sensitive by several organisations.

Raja Shahbaz Khan said religious groups had formally approached the commission and requested that polling not be conducted during Muharram and the Chehlum of Imam Hussain (RA). After reviewing those appeals, the commission extended key election deadlines and fixed September 27 as the new polling day for local councils across Gilgit-Baltistan.

The chief election commissioner stated that scrutiny of nomination papers, which was earlier moving under the original timetable, would now continue until August 10. He also reaffirmed that the commission remained committed to holding “transparent, free and fair elections” under the applicable legal and constitutional framework.

The upcoming polls will cover 1,343 wards across the region and will be conducted on a party basis. The commission clarified that candidates will not be able to contest as independents, while the minimum age for those entering the race has been set at 25 years. These conditions are expected to shape the nomination process and party-level candidate selection in the coming weeks.

The announcement came alongside updates on recent Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly election disputes. The commission said it had decided 14 election petitions and upheld the validity of Form 47, while decisions for GBA-13 Astore-I and GBA-16 Diamer-II were deferred until June 17.

Raja Shahbaz Khan also said attempts had been made on social and national media platforms to create doubts about the election process. He maintained that the commission had handled electoral matters in accordance with the law and that delayed final results were linked to petitions and disputes that required due process.

So far, final Form 49 results have been issued for 16 of 24 constituencies, while an election tribunal has been established to decide remaining disputes. The commission also said repolling orders for several polling stations, including those in Skardu, Astore and Diamer constituencies, had been suspended.

For Gilgit-Baltistan, the delay has both administrative and political consequences. It provides relief to religious organisations concerned about the election date, but it also extends the waiting period for citizens who want elected local institutions to address municipal services, development planning and community-level governance.

The next phase will focus on revised scrutiny, party nominations and the handling of pending disputes before the September vote. If the commission maintains the updated timeline, Gilgit-Baltistan could move toward long-awaited local representation after weeks of legal processing, political campaigning and public mobilisation.