Key Takeaways
- PPP candidate Akhtar Abbas Nashad won the by-election in GBA-09 Skardu-III.
- He secured 8,040 votes, defeating his rival Wazir Mohammad Saleem by 455 votes.
- The by-election was held after the disqualification of Fida Muhammad Nashad.
PPP candidate Akhtar Abbas Nashad has emerged victorious in the by-election held in GBA-09 Skardu-III, securing 8,040 votes against his rival Wazir Mohammad Saleem’s 7,585 votes, according to unofficial results.
The by-election was announced by the Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission following the disqualification of Fida Muhammad Nashad, who had been declared a returned candidate in the June general elections.
A total of 33,985 voters, including 17,658 men and 15,868 women, were registered to cast their ballots in the by-election, which was held on Saturday.
Special security arrangements were put in place, with over 800 police personnel and GB Scouts deployed to ensure the smooth and peaceful conduct of the polls.
Former minister Mohammad Saleem, who contested as an independent, was among the 10 candidates who filed their nomination papers.
The electoral process remained largely smooth, with a local holiday declared in the constituency to facilitate eligible voters and ensure the smooth conduct of the polls.
District Returning Officer Hamza Murad informed Dawn that GBA-09 had 61 polling stations, with 25 declared sensitive under Category A, 11 as medium-sensitive under Category B, and 25 classified as normal under Category C.
Analysts expected a close contest between PPP’s Abbas and independent candidate Saleem, with Abbas potentially benefiting from public sympathy following his father’s disqualification.
