Gilgit, June 7, 2026 – People across Gilgit-Baltistan started voting early this morning. Polling began at 8 AM and will run till 5 PM. From Gilgit city to small valleys like Shigar, Astore and Ghizer, voters lined up outside schools and community halls that were set up as polling stations.
The weather was cold but most people still came out with their CNICs. In many remote areas election staff had to reach a day before, carrying ballot boxes by jeep and sometimes on foot. Roads are not good in some places, so it takes time. Last night it rained in Astore and workers had to dry some papers near heaters before voting started.
Security teams were posted at every station. Police and local volunteers kept watch, especially in sensitive areas like Diamer and parts of Gilgit city. Officials said the process was calm till noon and no major problem was reported. Internet was slow in a few districts, which made it harder for party workers to share updates quickly.
What people are voting for
This election is about daily problems. Voters kept talking about broken link roads, power cuts in winter, lack of doctors in small hospitals, and jobs for young people. Hunza and Skardu also brought up tourism. Every summer many tourists come, but locals say the money does not stay in the region. Hotel owners and guides asked candidates to promise better training and cleaner waste management.
Parties in the race include PML-N, PPP, PTI, JUI-F, plus several local parties and independents. In bazaars last week most meetings were small and local. Many candidates said GB needs local faces who understand mountain problems, not orders from far away.
On the ground
Outside a school in Gilgit, Muhammad Ali, 42, who drives a van, said “We vote for roads and water. Every five years they promise, but the road to my village is still damaged.” Fatima, a young woman from Skardu, said “My mother told me to vote. I want a hospital here with proper doctors.”
Turnout looked better in Hunza in the morning. People there follow politics closely. In some parts of Diamer, elders said voting will pick up after Friday prayers because families go together.
The Election Commission set up more than 1,200 polling stations. Counting will start by hand after 5 PM. Unofficial results may come late tonight, but final results could take 2-3 days because some valleys are far and cut off.
Final Thought
GB elections are not like big city elections. Here a vote is tied to real life. It means asking if the bridge will be fixed before snow, if there will be a female doctor in the tehsil hospital, if a graduate can find work without leaving home.
Today people have done their part. They stood in cold weather and waited their turn. The mountains don’t speak, but they remember every promise. Winning a seat is one thing. Keeping trust is harder. If the next assembly fixes even two things — clean water and working hospitals — people will feel this vote mattered. If not, the same lines will form again in five years with the same complaints.
Democracy in these high valleys moves slow, but today it is alive. And that in itself is a win.
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