GILGIT, Pakistan: The Election Commission of Gilgit-Baltistan has said that Form-45 is being issued at all polling stations and instructed all Returning Officers (ROs) of the 24 constituencies to ensure that Presiding Officers provide a duly certified copy of Form-45 (Statement of the Count) to the polling agents of every candidate present at the polling stations.
The Election Commission urged media outlets not to run unverified reports regarding the non-issuance of Form-45 as the commission has already issued the form to all polling stations where counting is complete.
In a statement, the commission said all Returning Officers (ROs) of the 24 constituencies have been instructed to ensure that Presiding Officers provide a duly certified copy of Form-45 (Statement of the Count) to the polling agents of every candidate present at the polling stations.
It said the instructions were issued on the directions of the Chief Election Commissioner Gilgit-Baltistan and must be implemented strictly in line with the Election Act, 2017 and Election Rules, 2017.
The commission said the process is aimed at ensuring transparency in the electoral process and facilitating the smooth transmission and announcement of results.
It added that media channels should refrain from airing unverified claims by political actors regarding the non-issuance of Form-45.
Meanwhile, the counting of votes was underway after polling concluded for elections in Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly constituencies.
The polling process began at 8am and continued till 5pm without any break on Sunday.
A total of 403 candidates took part in the elections, including 396 men and 8 women. The total number of registered voters in the region was 963,034, including 566,097 male and 396,937 female voters.
As voting began, Gilgit Baltistan Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz visited various polling stations to review the voting process. He inspected arrangements and monitored the conduct of voting at different stations.
Speaking to the media after the polling process, Raja Shahbaz said that polling was completed peacefully, with a notably high turnout among women voters.
The chief election commissioner said he personally visited polling stations to monitor the voting process and assess arrangements on the ground.
