The final consolidated results, detailed in Form-49 issued by the Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission, showed that PPP candidate Attaullah Shah secured 6,618 votes, defeating Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) candidate Imam Malik by a margin of 13 votes.
Malik had contested the June elections in Gilgit-Baltistan as an independent candidate before subsequently joining the IPP.
The Election Commission had initially declared Malik the returned candidate for GBA-16 (Diamer-II). However, his membership was suspended last week after Shah filed a petition before an election tribunal, arguing that the returning officer had issued Form-49 without counting the postal ballots.
In an order issued on September 11, the tribunal directed the relevant returning officer to complete the verification and counting of postal ballots by September 16. It also suspended Malik’s membership pending the proceedings.
The verification and counting of postal ballots for GBA-16 (Diamer-II) subsequently began on Sunday under tight security.
The returning officer had instructed all candidates to attend the proceedings either personally or through authorised representatives. However, Malik and PML-N candidate Muhammad Anwar were absent, both personally and through representatives, according to the Election Commission.
The commission said the postal ballot proceedings were conducted under Section 235 of the Election Act, 2017, despite the absence of the two candidates or their representatives.
PPP’s Attaullah Shah, along with candidates Mohammad Nasir and Saifullah, was represented by authorised agents during the hours-long process.
The verification and counting took place in the presence of Gilgit Senior Civil Judge Fahad bin Naqeeb, Assistant Registrar of the Chief Court Raj Mir and Deputy Election Commissioner Muhammad Ali.
Malik’s supporters remained outside the Election Commission Secretariat throughout the night as the counting continued. Later, a large number of PPP supporters gathered at the secretariat to celebrate Shah’s victory, distributing sweets and chanting party slogans.
Meanwhile, the Gilgit-Baltistan Supreme Appellate Court is scheduled to hear Malik’s appeal against the election tribunal’s decision to suspend his membership on Monday.
Islamuddin Advocate, counsel for Shah, said that Justice Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan would determine whether the appeal was admissible.
