PPP Protest Blocks KKH Over Disputed Gilgit-Baltistan Result

Pakistan Peoples Party supporters staged a major protest in Chilas on Saturday, June 20, blocking sections of the Karakoram Highway after a disputed Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly result triggered allegations of an unlawful electoral process. The protest centred on the GBA-16 Diamer-II constituency, where independent candidate Imam Malik was notified as the returned candidate.

The demonstrators were supporters of PPP candidate Attaullah Khan, who had contested the constituency and challenged the manner in which the result was finalised. Protesters gathered at multiple points on the highway, turning one of the country’s most important northern transport routes into the focus of a political confrontation.

The blockade reportedly began in the morning and continued into the evening, causing serious disruption for travellers moving between Gilgit-Baltistan and other parts of Pakistan. Long queues of vehicles formed on both sides of the road, leaving passengers, tourists, transporters and local residents stranded in difficult mountainous terrain.

PPP Secretary General Nayyar Bukhari accused authorities of attempting to obstruct the party’s path after the Gilgit-Baltistan elections. He claimed that the PPP had secured a strong position when elected, reserved and technocratic seats were considered together, and argued that the electoral process must proceed strictly according to law.

The dispute intensified after protesters alleged that the notification for Imam Malik was issued before completion of key legal steps. According to the PPP side, Form 49 had not been prepared and postal ballots had not been fully counted before the candidate was treated as the winner of the constituency.

Attaullah Khan has described the process as unjust and illegal, saying the official result should not have been moved forward without consolidation. He had earlier approached the Election Commission, seeking consolidated results and suspension of a previous order for re-polling at three polling stations.

The controversy deepened after the chief election commissioner had reportedly directed officials to prepare the consolidated result following the count of postal ballots, while also suspending the earlier re-polling order. PPP supporters in Chilas said they wanted implementation of those directions before any final notification was accepted.

The situation gained further political weight when Imam Malik was later reported to have joined the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party. That development added a coalition-building dimension to the dispute, as parties in Gilgit-Baltistan are already calculating numbers for government formation after the election results.

For Gilgit-Baltistan, the protest is not merely a local constituency dispute. The Karakoram Highway is a strategic route for trade, tourism, supply movement and daily travel, and any prolonged closure can quickly affect the wider northern region’s economy and public mobility.

The immediate next step will depend on whether election authorities, the district administration and political representatives can reach a settlement that clears the highway and addresses the objections over the GBA-16 result. Until then, the dispute is likely to remain a flashpoint in Gilgit-Baltistan’s post-election politics.