CH & ABDUL WAHID GILGIT BALTISTAN PRESIDENT

CHODRY SHUJAAT & PRESIDENT OG GILGIT BALTISTAN ABDUL WAHID IN PARLIMENT LODGES

1987 SENITAR AND ABDUL WAHID

1987 senitoar and president PML ABDUL WAHID

PML-Q stretch muscles for Gilgit-Baltistan polls

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q) are stretching their muscles for giving each other tough time in upcoming Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly elections.

The maiden elections after implementation of Presidential Reforms Package for Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly; previously called Northern Areas Legislative Assembly (NALA), would be held on November 12, 2009 under supervision of the court.

Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly consists of total 33 seats out of which 24 members are directly elected while three seats are reserved for technocrats and six for women.

With October 1st as last date for filing the nomination papers, both PPP and PML-Q have started receiving significant number of applications from aspirants across the region.

Sayed Mehdi Shah, President of PPP Gilgit-Baltistan told APP on Monday that their party has so far received applications with an average of five to six candidates per constituency. Even at some places the number was as higher as eight applications per constituency, he added.

Shah said Peoples Party has decided to field its candidates in 22 constituencies out of 24 while two remote constituencies would skipped due to shortage of time and ensure focused run for the potential seats.

“Well, we have accepted the challenge. We are on the field to contest and win. Our workers, leaders and supporters struggling hard with optimism and higher morale,” he said.

Meanwhile, MNA Marvi Memon, who is also PML-Q’s in charge for Gilgit-Baltistan, claimed that her party had more strong candidates than Peoples Party and it was going to field candidates across the 24 constituencies.

“Position of PML-Q stalwarts is stronger. We hope to regain our previous majority on November 14 when official election results would be announced,” she said.

The MNA said that she herself visited the area thrice during month of Ramadan while the top PML central leadership was also scheduled to visit the Gilgit-Baltistan to buck-up its candidates during electioneering.

“Surely, performance will make the difference and our track record speaks louder than us as PML had undertaken mega development in the region,” she claimed.

ELECTIONS FOR LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY IN GB

GILGIT / SKARDU: The first elections for the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly were held largely peacefully across the region on Thursday, with no major incident of violence reported during the polling.

According to unofficial results announced around midnight, the PPP appeared poised to win a majority in the assembly.

Despite chilly weather, people in large numbers came out to cast their vote to elect their representatives to the assembly that will enjoy more powers under the political reforms recently introduced by the government.

The high voter turnout was, however, tainted by allegations of rigging in some rural constituencies.

Large queues of men and women were seen outside polling stations in most areas.

The only exception was the southern district of Diamer where conservative contestants of all major parties did not allow women to come out to vote.

An untoward incident, the worst of the day, was reported from the LA-15 constituency of Chilas where supporters of PML-Q candidate Bashir Ahmed and independent Mohamed Amin pelted each other with stones and several people were injured.

There were complaints about interference in polling by activists of different parties from some hotly contested electoral wards, including LA-3, Danyor, near the city of Gilgit.

Candidates complained that women voters had been prevented from voting at two booths by activists of some parties, prompting the home secretary to deploy paramilitary units.

Two people were injured in a clash in Dasso Nit village of Shigar valley between supporters of Raja Azam Khan of the MQM and Imran Nadeem of the PPP.

Police registered a case against 45 people. In the Wazir Pur area of the same constituency, supporters of the PPP reportedly pelted their rivals with stones.

A polling agent of the MQM for the Skardu-1 seat accused the PPP of casting bogus votes, but the agent of the PPP refuted the allegation.

Official results will be declared on Saturday. Despite complaints about a last-minute revision of voter lists, the results are expected to be accepted by most parties which will now focus to the next phase in which the assembly will elect six women and three technocrats to reserved seats.

The assembly will then elect the region’s first chief minister. The Pakistan People’s Party’s regional chief Syed Mehdi Shah has emerged as a front-runner for the post.

Polling got under way at 8am and wrapped up by 4pm. In all, 256 candidates were vying for 23 seats.

The electorate comprised 714,966 people, including 330,391 women, for whom 989 polling stations were set up.

The election in LA-19, Ghizer, was postponed after the death of a candidate. Only those possessing Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) were allowed to vote.

Around 6,000 security personnel were deployed at all the polling stations. Counting of votes at some polling stations continued till late in the night.

Chief Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Mohammed said representatives of human rights organisations and NGOs were allowed to visit polling stations to ensure transparency of the electoral process.

He said that besides police, Northern Areas Scouts, Rangers and Frontier Constabulary personnel were available for security, while the army was available on call.

Election Commissioner Rahim Nawaz Khan Durrani said that security personnel and election staff members were paid a special allowance of Rs300 each for those deployed in cities and Rs1,000 in rural areas.

He said the overall turnout was satisfactory, although it was low in remote areas because of harsh weather.

Voting at some polling stations was completed two hours before the closing time with 100 per cent votes cast.

According to unofficial results, Syed Mehdi Shah of the PPP was declared winner from Skardu-1 with 5,295 votes, while Wazir Villayat Ali of the PML-Q came second with 2,270 votes.

In Skardu-6, Raja Azam Khan of the MQM won with 5,151 votes against 3,257 of PPP’s Imran Nadeem.

In Skardu-2, Shaikh Nisar of the PPP had a lead over Syed Mohammad Ali Shah in a close contest.

In Skardu-3, Wazir Shakeel Ahmed of the PPP had a lead over Haji Fida Mohammad Nashad of the PML-N.

In Skardu-4, Raja Hussain Khan Maqpon and Wazir Hassan of the PPP were running neck and neck.

In Skardu-5, Syed Mohammad Ali Shah of the PPP appeared to be in a winning position.

In Ghanche-1, Mohammad Jaffer of the PPP was leading.

In Ghanche-2, Maulana Abdullah of the PML-N was leading with 4,066 votes against 3,941 of Amna Ansari.

In Ghanche-3, Engineer Ismail of the PPP won with 5,601 votes against Mohammad Shafique of the PML-N who got 4,059 votes.

President ABDUL WAHID motivates his party members elections.

ELECTIONS AND POLITICAL PARTIES..

ELECTIONS &POLITICAL PARTIES…

The present regime has done well to introduce the democracy in the Gilgit Baltistan area, which is one of the poorest and under-developed areas of the world, and most of the people don’t even know about the modern world. As this area is going for the elections, there is much hope among the masses, and the government and the politicians must not disappoint these people.
It is very necessary that the government and Election Commission to ensure fair, free and transparent elections in Gilgit-Baltistan. The governor Qamaruzzaman Kaira’s reputation is not that much transparent and to write home about, but he must not play with the elections, like he tried to do in the Kashmir. He must not use the government machinery for the campaign of PPP candidates and let the other parties like MQM and PML-N have their way at will in the campaign.
The purpose of this election must not be to prove that some party is strong or weak and by tampering the elections, the government must not try to portray that they are popular. The objective of the elections should be to alleviate the sense of deprivation among the people of Gilgit-Baltistan should be addressed.

MUSLIM LEAGUE FOUNDER

MUSLIM LEAGUE founder in gilgit baltistan and MARWI MEMON in his office discussing about the latest problems in gilgit and finding a solution