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Residents of Gilgit-Baltistan are heading to polling stations across the region as they vote for 24 seats of the legislative assembly.
The general elections for Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly are taking place after a four-month delay, which was attributed to harsh winter weather. The voting process in the region began at 8am on Sunday and is set to conclude at 5pm.
The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly has a total of 33 seats — 24 of which are contested through direct elections, six are reserved for women, and three are reserved for technocrats and professionals. Political parties can nominate candidates for the reserved seats through proportional representation.
A total of 396 candidates are contesting the elections, with 266 running as independents. Only eight women are contesting the elections, five of them as independent candidates.
