&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Banned group in fray, opposition alleges challenges ahead of controversial polls in PoK’s Gilgit Baltistan")
New Delhi: Pakistani media have reported that the Election Commission of Pakistan has published the final list of candidates for elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s Gilgit-Baltistan, scheduled for 7 June 2026, with a contender from a recently proscribed organisation, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, in the fray amid heightened sectarian tensions in the Shia-majority region.
A total of 403 candidates will contest the 24 general seats. Of these, 272 are independents and 131 represent political parties. The list includes eight women candidates. Major parties such as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with 23 nominees and PML-N with 22 candidates lead the field, while groups including Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) have fielded one candidate each.
TLP, an Islamist party known for its hardline stance on blasphemy laws, was formally banned under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act in October 2025 after violent clashes with police resulted in deaths. Pakistani authorities cited its involvement in “terrorism and violent activities.”
The group has a history of organising large-scale, often disruptive protests.
Gilgit-Baltistan, which is under Pakistani occupation, has a Shia Muslim majority. In February-March 2026, protests in Gilgit and Skardu turned deadly, with reports of several deaths, including attacks on security personnel. The presence of a TLP candidate has raised fears of exacerbating sectarian divides in a region already sensitive to Sunni-Shia tensions.
Pakistani reports suggest that a Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) candidate is also contesting the controversial polls. The party is widely seen as the political front of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and linked to Hafiz Saeed.
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Separately, concerns over electoral transparency have surfaced. Muhammad Sohail Khan Afridi, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, called for judicial intervention. In a letter, he has highlighted reports of harassment, illegal arrests, and obstacles faced by his political party PTI’s workers and leadership in holding rallies and campaigns.
“Every political party and citizen has the fundamental right to participate in free and fair elections,” the letter stated.
Meanwhile, PTI’s senior leader Asad Qaiser has said that he was prevented by authorities from reaching the Islamabad airport to board a flight to Gilgit-Baltistan. Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP) described the move as evidence of “sham” elections, saying authorities fear facing rivals in a “free and fair” vote.
The status of Gilgit-Baltistan remains constitutionally ambiguous, with any move to absorb it into Pakistan meaning more crisis in a region that faces historic challenges due to illegal Pakistani occupation. The upcoming contentious elections could add to the crisis in the occupied region, with controversies already hogging the limelight.
