Voting underway in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's Gilgit-Baltistan region for legislative assembly

Islamabad: Voting was underway on Sunday in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's Gilgit-Baltistan region for elections to the so-called legislative assembly.

India has lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over the elections to the so-called Gilgit-Baltistan assembly, maintaining that the region is Indian territory that has been "illegally and forcibly" occupied.

India reiterated its well-known position that the entire Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including the so-called 'Gilgit-Baltistan' are integral and inalienable parts of India as a result of "complete, legal and irrevocable accession" of Jammu and Kashmir to India in 1947.


The voting, which began at 8 am, would continue till 5 pm.

According to a list issued by the authorities, a total of 1,391 polling stations have been established across the region, of which 488 are categorised as normal, 349 as sensitive and 551 as highly sensitive.

The so-called assembly has a total of 33 seats - 24 of which are contested through direct elections, while another eight are reserved for women, technocrats and professionals.

In the past, the party ruling in Islamabad has won the so-called elections.