Security personnel intervened after a confrontation outside a Gilgit polling station, while separate allegations of irregularities emerged from an Astore female polling station.
GILGIT: A confrontation between supporters of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) briefly disrupted the atmosphere outside a polling station in Gilgit on Sunday as voting continued across Gilgit-Baltistan, according to eyewitness accounts and local reports.
The clash occurred outside the Sir Syed School polling station, where polling was underway. Witnesses said a verbal dispute escalated into a physical altercation before security personnel intervened and brought the situation under control. No major injuries were reported.
Polling also continued in Skardu’s GBA-9 constituency, where eight candidates are contesting the seat. Election officials said 33,649 registered voters are eligible to vote in the constituency.
Authorities said 54 polling stations had been established in the area, including 22 categorized as highly sensitive and four as sensitive. The constituency has 17,774 male voters and 15,875 female voters, with arrangements comprising 12 male, 12 female, and 30 joint polling stations.
Officials maintained that strict security measures were in place and said voting was proceeding in an orderly manner across most stations.
Separately, allegations of irregularities emerged from the Eidgah Female Polling Station in Astore. Some voters alleged that ballot papers were being stamped improperly and without their consent, raising concerns among local residents about the integrity of the process.
Election authorities had not issued an official response to the Astore allegations at the time of reporting. The Chief Election Commissioner of Gilgit-Baltistan urged voters and election staff to ensure that polling continued peacefully and in accordance with electoral rules.
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