CHILAS: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) sustained its protest for a third consecutive day on Tuesday over the delayed issuance of Form 48 for the GBLA-16 Diamer-II constituency. Demonstrators maintained their blockade of the Karakoram Highway (KKH), causing significant traffic disruptions and leaving hundreds of travelers stranded.
PPP activists gathered outside the District Returning Officer’s residence in Chilas and continued their sit-in on the KKH, which has remained completely closed to all vehicular movement since the protest began. Long queues of vehicles have accumulated on both sides of the highway, while local authorities have yet to restore normal traffic flow.
In a significant development, the PPP Gilgit-Baltistan chapter expressed serious concerns about the transparency of the electoral process due to the unusual delay in issuing Form 48. Protesters pledged to persist with their sit-in until the form is released and the election results are clarified.
The controversy revolves around the GBLA-16 Diamer-II seat, where Form 47 has already been issued, indicating independent candidate Syed Imam Malik leading by 24 votes. However, PPP leaders argue that official records in Form 48 show their candidate, Attaullah, winning by a margin of 269 votes.
Attaullah rejected the Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission’s decision to hold re-polling at four polling stations scheduled for June 15. He insisted that the initial polling on June 7 was conducted transparently with all polling agents present and that Form 45 had already been issued.
Challenging the re-polling order, the PPP candidate stated that Form 47 was compiled based on Form 45, with only the postal ballot count pending. He claimed the delay in counting postal ballots followed by the re-polling directive was unwarranted.
The PPP accused the Election Commission of withholding Form 48 and issuing a notification for re-polling only at stations linked to the opposing candidate. Party leaders described this as an attempt to undermine the voters’ mandate and deny the public’s electoral choice.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission’s re-polling order remains active, and no official announcement has been made regarding the release of Form 48. As the stalemate continues, the extended closure of the Karakoram Highway has stranded numerous passengers and disrupted regional transportation networks.
