Gilgit-Baltistan Local Government Elections Scheduled for December 5 in Three Cities
GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan on Thursday announced a revised schedule for long-delayed local government elections in the region, setting December 5 for polling for municipal corporation seats in Gilgit, Chilas and Skardu.
The elections, which were announced last year after a gap of more than two decades, were initially scheduled for February 14, 2026. However, they have been postponed several times due to severe winter weather, requests from the government and amendments to the Local Government Act.
Addressing a press conference at the Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission Secretariat, Raja Shahbaz Khan said the elections would be conducted in two phases. Polling for municipal corporation seats in Gilgit, Chilas and Skardu would take place on December 5, while elections for district councils, municipal committees and union councils would be held in April 2027.
The chief election commissioner said amendments to the 2014 Local Government Act had been completed, paving the way for the elections, which have not been held in Gilgit-Baltistan for 22 years.
He explained that an election schedule had initially been announced in December last year, with polling proposed for February. However, the government requested a postponement because of severe winter conditions.
A revised schedule was subsequently prepared for August 2026, with polling initially planned for September. The government later sought more time to amend the Local Government Act, leading to another delay.
Khan said the government had now completed the amendments and that he had also met Chief Minister Amjad Hussain to discuss the revised election schedule.
He said the Gilgit-Baltistan Local Government Act 2026 had been introduced by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government, adding that the party also deserved credit for holding elections under the amended law.
The chief election commissioner said the amendments had introduced several significant changes, including allowing independent candidates to contest local government elections. Under the previous arrangement, elections were to be held on a party basis.
He said the earlier local government structure comprised seven categories of bodies covering urban and rural areas, including town committees, municipal committees, municipal corporations, union councils, tehsil councils and district councils.
Under the amended law, the structure has been streamlined into four categories: district councils, union councils, municipal committees and municipal corporations.
Elections for all four categories would be conducted under a multi-ward system, which the chief election commissioner said would simplify the electoral process.
District councils, union councils and municipal committees would have chairpersons and vice-chairpersons, while municipal corporations would be headed by mayors and deputy mayors.
Under the revised system, municipal corporations have been established in Gilgit, Chilas and Skardu. The elected members of these corporations will subsequently elect their mayors and deputy mayors.
Union councils and district councils have also been established across all districts of Gilgit-Baltistan. The amended law provides a 17 per cent quota for women in all local government bodies.
Khan said it had been decided to hold the first phase of elections in the municipal corporations of Gilgit, Chilas and Skardu, while district councils and union councils would also function in these areas.
The revised schedule marks a new step towards restoring elected local government institutions in Gilgit-Baltistan after a gap of 22 years, with the remaining local government elections scheduled for April 2027.
