GILGIT: The Election Commission has issued the final list of candidates for the upcoming 2026 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections, confirming that 403 contenders will compete for seats in the regional legislature.
According to the official list, the majority of candidates—272 in total—are running as independents, while 131 have secured tickets from various political parties. The diverse field reflects a highly competitive electoral landscape across the region.
Eight women candidates are also in the race. Among them, five are contesting as independents, while one each represents the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, and Pakistan National Party.
Major political parties have fielded a significant number of candidates. Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians is leading with 23 nominees, followed closely by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 22 candidates. Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party has entered 15 contenders, while Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam has fielded nine. Islami Tehreek Pakistan has nominated 10 candidates, Pakistan Nazariati Party 10, and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen seven. Jamaat-e-Islami and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) are each participating with six candidates, while Awami Workers Party has four in the race.
Several other parties are contesting with smaller representations. Pakistan Muslim League has 11 candidates, whereas PML-Q has nominated one. Parties fielding a single candidate each include Awami National Party, Awami Pakistan, Central Muslim League, Tehreek Tahafuz Pakistan Party, Sunni Ittehad Council, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, and PPP Tower Group.
With hundreds of candidates now officially in the field, political activity across Gilgit-Baltistan is expected to intensify in the run-up to polling day, as parties and independents begin full-scale campaigning for the regional assembly.
