GILGIT:
With the election clock ticking down and political temperatures rising sharply across Gilgit-Baltistan, the contest has entered its most charged phase, where campaigning was in full swing, rival parties locked in intense mobilisation, and every corner of the region – from remote valleys to busy town centres echoing with slogans, rallies, and last-ditch efforts to sway an increasingly attentive electorate.
Party flags flutter across roadsides, election banners line narrow streets, and workers’ slogans echo through bustling neighbourhoods, reflecting an atmosphere where corner meetings, rallies and public gatherings have become a daily feature of political life. In many constituencies, candidates are seen exerting maximum effort to secure voter trust as polling day draws closer.
Against the scenic backdrop of G-B’s mountains and green valleys, political activity has taken on a vibrant intensity. Observers say the campaign has entered its final and most critical phase, where narrative-building and voter engagement are now central to party strategies.
Some parties are projecting pledges of development and infrastructure uplift, while others are framing visions of a more stable and prosperous future. Yet, local sentiment appears increasingly discerning, with many voters showing greater caution and reluctance to be swayed by rhetoric alone.
All eyes are now fixed on the polling day on June 7, when the decisive power of the ballot will determine which political force gains ascendancy in G-B’s evolving political landscape.
Meanwhile, in a parallel development amid the heightened election environment, senior leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) held high-level consultations in Gilgit, focusing on the evolving electoral situation and potential avenues of cooperation.
Former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and former federal minister Qamar Zaman Kaira met Federal Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain and PML-Q Secretary General Tariq Hassan, where detailed discussions were held on the electoral landscape, possible joint strategies, and broader political alignments.
The PPP delegation included G-B Governor Syed Mehdi Shah, Punjab Governor Saleem Haider, and central leader Chaudhry Manzoor, while the PML-Q side was represented by central spokesperson Ghulam Mustafa Malik. Other participants included Anila Ayaz Chaudhry, Rizwan Sadiq, and PPP G-B President Dilfaraz Khan.
Sources said both sides reviewed the overall political situation, explored possibilities of post-election cooperation and government formation scenarios, and discussed coordination in the context of the ongoing electoral contest. Both parties agreed to continue consultations and maintain contact in the coming days.
The participants expressed satisfaction over constructive progress. Shah noted that mutual respect between PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain would be further strengthened, adding that coordinated strategies could yield stronger electoral outcomes in G-B.
According to PML-Q spokesperson Ghulam Mustafa Malik, the meeting was convened on the direction of party chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. He added that the delegation had also briefed senior leadership, including Chaudhry Shafay Hussain, Dr Muhammad Amjad and Punjab President Malik Muhammad Sameen, and reaffirmed that all decisions would remain subject to party leadership approval.
