GB election commission postpones elections amid harsh weather conditions

• 13 political parties demanded postponement of polls in GB.
• GB Assembly dissolved on November 24 after completing its term.
• Justice (retd) Yar Muhammad Nasir serving as caretaker CM.

Days after announcing the schedule of polls, the Gilgit Baltistan chief election commissioner on Thursday announced the postponement of general elections due to severe weather conditions across the region.

The decision followed an all-parties conference convened by the Election Commission, where the impact of worsening weather on the electoral process was reviewed.

The development came after President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday approved the schedule for the upcoming general elections in Gilgit Baltistan.

Addressing the APC on the election schedule, Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan said the decision to delay the polls was taken in line with the majority opinion of political parties.

He said the elections could not be held under the current circumstances due to unfavourable weather conditions in the region.

The chief election commissioner recalled that the Election Commission had issued the election schedule on January 24, 2026. However, he said holding polls in severe winter conditions would pose serious challenges for voters, candidates and election staff.

He said that 13 political parties had demanded a postponement of the elections, while six political parties were of the view that the elections should proceed under the existing schedule.

The GB Assembly was dissolved on November 24, after completing its five-year term, leading to the dissolution of Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan's cabinet.

Justice (retd) Yar Muhammad Nasir, the former judge of the Gilgit Baltistan Chief Court, was sworn in as the caretaker chief minister of the region.

It is to be noted here that the Gilgit Baltistan Assembly's last elections were held in November 2020, across 24 constituencies. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) formed the government with Khalid Khurshid elected as chief minister.

However, in July 2023, the Gilgit Baltistan Chief Court disqualified CM Khurshid. Following his removal, a coalition comprising members of the PTI’s disgruntled faction, the PPP, and the PML-N formed a new government and elected Khan as the region’s chief minister.