G-B Elections: Over 158,000 voters to cast ballots in Diamer as security tightened

By Hussain Ahmad

CHILAS: More than 158,000 voters are set to cast their ballots in four constituencies of Diamer district as Gilgit-Baltistan heads to the polls on Sunday, with authorities putting extensive security measures in place, including the imposition of Section 144 and the deployment of additional law enforcement personnel.

According to election officials, Diamer has a total of 158,714 registered voters, including 81,655 men and 77,059 women. Polling will take place at 174 polling stations and 380 polling booths established across the district.

Majority of polling stations declared highly sensitive

Security concerns remain a key focus, with 119 of the district’s 174 polling stations classified as highly sensitive, 22 as sensitive and only 33 as normal.

Constituency GBA-16 Diamer-II (Chilas) has the highest number of registered voters at 46,282, followed by GBA-15 Diamer-I (Chilas) with 44,526 voters. GBA-17 Diamer-III (Darel) has 41,045 registered voters, while GBA-18 Diamer-IV (Tangir) has 26,861 voters.

In GBA-15, authorities have established 52 polling stations, including 22 highly sensitive, 12 sensitive and 18 normal stations. GBA-16 will have 44 polling stations, of which 19 have been categorised as highly sensitive and 10 as sensitive.

Security concerns are particularly pronounced in Darel and Tangir, where all polling stations have been declared highly sensitive. Election authorities have designated all 46 polling stations in GBA-17 Darel and all 32 polling stations in GBA-18 Tangir as highly sensitive.

Campaigning ends as security measures intensified

The Election Commission has formally ended election campaigning in line with its code of conduct, with all campaign activities prohibited after midnight ahead of polling day.

Political parties and candidates spent Saturday making final preparations for the vote, while efforts continued to bring Diamer residents living in other cities back to their constituencies to exercise their right to vote.

To bolster security arrangements, around 5,000 Punjab Police personnel have arrived in Gilgit-Baltistan to assist local law enforcement agencies during the elections.

Section 144 imposed, drones and aerial firing banned

Amid heightened security concerns, District Magistrate Lieutenant (Retd) Muhammad Owais has imposed Section 144 across Diamer district for 60 days.

Under the order, a complete ban has been placed on the public display of weapons, aerial firing and the use of firecrackers. Authorities have also prohibited the operation of drones, quadcopters and other unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) throughout the district.

The administration has further barred individuals from carrying weapons or operating drones without obtaining a written No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the relevant authorities.

Police personnel and officials of other law enforcement agencies performing official duties have been exempted from the restrictions.

The District Police Officer (DPO) has been directed to ensure strict implementation of the orders, while assistant commissioners and sub-divisional magistrates have been instructed to publicise the restrictions across Chilas, Darel and Tangir.

Copies of the order have also been sent to election authorities, including returning officers and the Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commissioner, as officials seek to ensure a peaceful and orderly polling process across the district.