GB LG polls: Elections for municipal corporation seats in Chilas, Skardu, Gilgit to be held on Dec 5

Gilgit-Baltistan's Chief Election Commissioner, Raja Shahbaz Khan, announced revised dates for local body elections in Chilas, Skardu, and Gilgit on Thursday. These elections, which had been postponed for over two decades, will now take place on December 5. The elections will be conducted in two phases, with municipal corporation seat polling occurring in the first phase.

The second phase will see elections for district councils, municipal committees, and union councils held in April of the following year. The local government elections, originally set for February 14, 2026, have been delayed due to weather conditions and amendments to the Local Government Act. Khan noted that the amendments to the LG Act were completed, allowing the elections to finally take place after a 22-year absence.

The government had initially proposed holding the elections in February, but later delayed them due to severe winter weather. A revised schedule was later set for August, but the government requested additional time to complete the necessary amendments. The amended LG Act introduced several changes, including allowing independent candidates to contest the elections, previously restricted to party-based candidates.

The system has been simplified into four categories: district councils, union councils, municipal committees, and municipal corporations. The new system employs a multi-ward system, making the process more straightforward. The CEC further explained that district councils, union councils, and municipal committees will have chairmen and vice-chairmen, while municipal corporations will have mayors and deputy mayors.

Union councils and district councils have been established across all districts, with a 17% quota allocated for women in all local bodies. The elections will initially be held in the municipal corporations of Gilgit, Chilas, and Skardu, with district councils and union councils also operating in these areas. Public notices for the municipal corporation elections will be issued on October 24, with nomination papers to be filed from October 26-29, and polling scheduled for December 5 in Gilgit, Chilas, and Skardu.