Gilgit Baltistan Election 2020: PTI wins over PPP in recount

Gilgit: PTI candidate Fatehullah Khan on Friday emerged victorious in a recount on the GBA-2 (Gilgit II) constituency.

Unofficial results shared by a returning officer put Khan ahead of PPP's Jamil Ahmed by 96 votes. The recount was conducted after the PPP leader challenged the election result.

A total of 24 candidates were contesting in this constituency - 14 of them were independents. 

Read more: Gilgit Baltistan Election 2020: 6 odd and interesting facts about polls in Gilgit-Baltistan

GB polls

Imran Khan-led PTI grabbed nine out of 23 constituencies in the hotly contested polls in Gilgit Baltistan. According to unofficial and unconfirmed results, the ruling party grabbed nine seats while Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led PPP came second with three victories. Meanwhile, PML-N, JUI-F, and MWM have won one each while Independent candidates secured six.

As many as 330 candidates, including four women, were vying for 23 general seats in the third legislative assembly of the northern region.

Citizens, wearing facemasks and observing social distancing, lined up outside polling stations in bitter cold across the region, many voters braving heavy snowfalls.

More than 15,000 security personnel from GB, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan were deployed at polling stations.

Read more: PTI set to form govt in Gilgit Baltistan after five independents join party

Controversies 

Both PML-N and PPP have termed the polls 'rigged'.

Taking to Twitter, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said his "election has been stolen". He then addressed political workers at a gathering. "Your mandate has been stolen. Our candidates were pressurised." 

Bilawal said election rules were violated but the GB Chief Election Commissioner sided with the government and targeted the Opposition parties. "Our candidate lost by two votes. They are trying to steal three seats but we will not let them."

The PPP chairman said the "puppet government" did not even expect they will win. "They don't even have a candidate for chief minister post."

PML-N vice-president Maryam Nawaz claimed PTI won the seats through 'rigging', 'bullying', and with the help of turncoats.

Taking to Twitter, Maryam said PTI failing to cement a clear majority in the northern region is a "shameful defeat" for the incumbent government. "This defeat is a telling sign of what the future has in store."

Maryam said the ruling party was unable to secure a majority despite using state machinery and with the help of turncoats, adding that the people of GB have no confidence in the PTI.