PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif to visit Gilgit-Baltistan ahead of June 7 polls

Former Prime Minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif is set to visit Gilgit-Baltistan on Tuesday. His trip aims to meet with party ticket holders in anticipation of the general elections scheduled for June 7. The election commission had announced the polls after a four-month delay.

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He will also discuss the upcoming elections in Gilgit-Baltistan and matters related to the development and welfare of the people of the region.

During his one-day visit, Sharif will engage with party leaders and ticket-holders, discussing the upcoming elections and regional development plans. This visit marks Sharif's return to active politics since the February 2024 general elections. He has previously expressed his commitment to the region, stating that Gilgit-Baltistan is as dear to him as any other part of Pakistan.

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The party believes that the Islamabad-imposed Form-47 government in collaboration with state institutions, the local administration, and law enforcement agencies, is being used to influence the electoral process and suppress political opposition.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has raised serious allegations of pre-poll rigging and state-sponsored repression. The PTI claims that the current government, in collaboration with state institutions, is manipulating the electoral process to suppress opposition. The party also expressed concerns about the impartiality of the Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission, citing actions against PTI candidates and their families while overlooking alleged violations by the ruling PML-N.

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We find it frivolous that a notice was issued to the mother of former chief minister Khalid Khurshid for displaying election posters so that candidates could be forced into quitting PTI and joining government-backed parties.

The PTI further alleged that the PML-N is openly flouting the electoral code of conduct through federal-level campaigning and the misuse of administrative influence. They also reported that PTI lawmakers are being prevented from entering the region, questioning the Election Commission's failure to address these issues.

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GB is as dear to me as the rest of Pakistan is, and as Azad Kashmir, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and KP are.