GILGIT(National Times)- A close contest between a PPP and an independent candidate is expected as the by-election in the GBA-09 (Skardu-III) constituency is set for Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The GB Election Commission had announced the by-election in the constituency after the GB Supreme Appellate Court had disqualified PPP candidate Fida Muhammad Nashad, who had been notified as a returned candidate in the June polls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nashad\u2019s son, Akhtar Abbas, will now contest the elections on PPP\u2019s ticket, while Mohammad Ajmal will be in the field from PML-N. Former minister Mohammad Saleem, who is contesting as an independent, will also be among 10 candidates who have filed their nomination papers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the election schedule, 33,000 voters will cast their ballots as polling will run from 8am to 5pm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a statement issued on Friday, GB Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Raja Shahbaz Khan said that security, deployment of polling staff and other arrangements had been completed for the by-election GBA-09 (Skardu-III).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He expressed his determination to conduct \u201ctransparent, impartial and peaceful\u201d elections and provide voters with the facilities to cast their vote without fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Khan also directed the institutions and officials concerned to fulfil their duties responsibly and effectively during the electoral process. \u201cNo kind of obstruction in the polling process will be tolerated,\u201d he warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Analysts said a close contest between PPP\u2019s Abbas and the independent candidate is expected. They said that the PPP candidate retains his father\u2019s vote bank and could have the public\u2019s sympathy after GB\u2019s top court disqualified Nashad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the other hand, Saleem \u2014 winner from the same constituency in the 2020 GB general elections \u2014 had managed to be the runner-up in the June polls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
District Returning Officer (DRO) Hamza Murad also told Dawn that all arrangements and the security plan had been finalised for the by-election, with the polling staff and paraphernalia also dispatched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
GBA-09 has a total of 61 polling stations, of which 25 have been declared \u201csensitive\u201d in Category A, 11 termed \u201cmedium\u201d under Category B, and another 25 deemed normal in Category C, the DRO said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPersonnel from GB Police, GB Scouts and the armed forces have been deployed accordingly,\u201d Murad added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Separately, GB Chief Secretary Arshad Majeed and the GB CEC held a meeting on Friday to review the security plan, law and order and arrangements at polling stations, according to a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe chief election commissioner expressed his determination to conduct transparent, impartial and peaceful elections, while the chief secretary assured full cooperation from the provincial government,\u201d it stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shakoor Abdullah, a local journalist, told Dawn that voters in the constituency were enthusiastic to use their right to vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Currently, PPP has 13 seats in the GB Assembly, PML-N has nine, the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) has six, while Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) and a PTI-backed independent occupy one seat each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fida Nashad\u2019s disqualification saga<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Forms 47 and 48 issued by the GB Election Commission, Nashad, the PPP candidate and veteran politician, had won a GB Assembly seat from GBA-09 (Skardu-III) in the June 7 general elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, his opponent, Zakir Hussain, had challenged his eligibility to become a member of the assembly before the GB Supreme Appellate Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On June 19, GB Supreme Appellate Court Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan issued an order suspending the issuance of the result from the constituency until the case was decided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In its verdict on July 9, the GB Supreme Appellate Court had disqualified PPP candidate Nashad for concealing his assets in his nomination papers, setting aside the GB Chief Court\u2019s decision that had allowed him to contest the elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The court declared the GB Chief Court\u2019s order dated May 25, 2026 \u201cnull and void\u201d and upheld the election tribunal\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nashad\u2019s nomination papers were initially rejected by the returning officer (RO), prompting him to challenge the decision before the election tribunal. The tribunal, however, upheld the RO\u2019s decision. Subsequently, Nashad challenged the tribunal\u2019s verdict in the GB Chief Court, which allowed him to contest the elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the verdict was issued by the GB Supreme Appellate Court, the GB Election Commission announced a by-election in GBA-09 on September 5.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
GILGIT(National Times)- A close contest between a PPP and an independent candidate is expected as the by-election in the GBA-09 (Skardu-III) constituency is set for Saturday. The GB Election Commission had announced the by-election in the constituency after the GB Supreme Appellate Court had disqualified PPP candidate Fida Muhammad Nashad, who had been notified as a returned candidate in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":132511,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-132510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n