Daily Times

Stage is set for polls in Gilgit Baltistan today (Sunday). A total of 745,361 voters will be exercise their right to vote for 23 constituencies at 1,160 polling stations. The region’s administration said at least 15,900 law enforcement personnel would be deployed for security purposes. Out of the 847 polling booths, 418 have been declared highly sensitive, 311 sensitive and 431 normal.

Surveys by Gallup and Pulse Consultant revealed close contest between the Imran Khan-led PTI and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s PPP while PML-N comes third. The surveys found PM Imran Khan as the most popular leader in GB followed by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Nawaz Sharif. Around 30% of voters believe elections will be transparent and free of rigging.

When asked about which political party they would vote for on 15th Nov (the Election Day), the 27% of Gallup respondents said they would vote for PTI, 24% said PPP, and 14% said PML-N. On the other hand, 35% of Pulse Consultant respondents said they would vote for PTI, 26% said PPP and 14% said PML-N. Gallup survey shows there is a gap of only 3% between the PTI and PPP as the first choice of voters. However, in the Pulse survey, the gap between the two leading parties is 9% but the trend is the same – PTI is the first choice, PPP second and PML-N third. However, most of the results would depend on the electoral dynamics of the election day and the voters turn out as who is able to assist their voters to come out and vote for them

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday shared a picture of himself along with his sons taken in the Gilgit Baltistan region. The picture shared on Imran Khan’s official Instagram is of 2016 when his sons Qasim and Suleman had come to Pakistan to see their father. The prime minister has two sons with his first wife Jemima Khan and are living in the United Kingdom with their mother.

Federal Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan Affairs Ali Amin Gandapur on Saturday lashed out at the PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari ahead of polls in the region today. He said that the PTI would win with a majority vote in the region as it could face a contest on six Gilgit Baltistan seats from the PPP. “In some constituencies, even the PTI workers are contesting against the party candidate,” he said while sharing the political situation in the region.

Lamenting the PPP chairman, Ali Amin Gandapur while commenting on Bilawal’s remarks of calling him as ‘ganda’ [dirty] said that he was himself dirty as money earned from corruption is running through his veins.