PPP seeks immediate release of Form 45 amid GB election counting delays

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has accused federal authorities and election officials of “engineering” results in Gilgit-Baltistan’s elections, warning that an unusual delay in the release of Form 45 is threatening the credibility of the democratic process.

Counting of votes is under way across Gilgit-Baltistan after polling concluded for 24 assembly seats on Sunday evening.

The voting process began at 8am and closed at 5pm without any extension. Heavy turnouts of both male and female voters were recorded at more than 1,000 polling stations across the territory.

Shazia Marri, a central spokesperson for the PPP, said on Sunday that the failure to provide ‘Form 45’ — the primary document containing the final vote tally from individual polling stations — to party agents was “unacceptable” and pointed toward systemic rigging.

“The extraordinary delay in results is giving rise to serious doubts,” Marri said in a statement. “Attempts to change the public mandate through administrative pressure will not be tolerated.”

The allegations come as counting continues across the 24 constituencies of G-B. PPP leaders claimed that administrative hurdles were placed throughout the day to disenfranchise voters.

Marri alleged that polling stations in areas like Bunji, in the Astore district, were moved to difficult mountainous terrain at the last minute, preventing thousands of women and elderly voters from reaching the booths.

Senior PPP leader Nadeem Afzal Chan accused two federal ministers, Amir Muqam and Aleem Khan, of being present in Gilgit to exert pressure on the local administration to alter results in favor of government-aligned candidates.

“Two federal ministers are pressuring the administration to influence the outcome,” Chan said. “Stealing the mandate of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan through such tactics will only damage the reputation of the entire electoral system.”

PPP Secretary General Nayyar Bukhari said that he had formally contacted the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after party workers were reportedly forced out of polling stations during the counting process without receiving certified result sheets.

Election commission response

In response to the mounting criticism, G-B Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan issued a late-night directive to all 24 returning officers (ROs), ordering them to ensure that presiding officers provide certified copies of Form 45 to all polling agents immediately.

“The provision of Form 45 must be ensured in strict accordance with the Election Act and Rules 2017,” the CEC stated.

Earlier in the day, the CEC had lauded the peaceful conduct of the polls, noting that turnout had been strong across the region’s 10 districts. He maintained that over 15,000 security personnel had successfully prevented any major outbreaks of violence.

High stakes

The election is a crucial test for the ruling coalition in Islamabad and the opposition. For the PPP, which has campaigned heavily on the promise of granting Gilgit-Baltistan full provincial status, the stakes are particularly high as they seek to regain their former stronghold.

The regional government requires a simple majority of 17 seats in the 33-member assembly to take power.

Political analysts warn that if the standoff over the transparency of the count persists, it could lead to widespread protests in the sensitive region.