2020 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly election

{{Short description|Legislative assembly elections held in the Pakistani-administered territory of Gilgit-Baltistan}}

{{update|date=December 2022}}

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 2020 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly Election

| country = Gilgit-Baltistan

| flag_image =

| type = parliamentary

| previous_election = 2015 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly election

| previous_year = 2015

| outgoing_members = Outgoing Members

| election_date = {{Start date|2020|11|15}}{{efn|name=date|Except the election in the General Constituency of GBA-3 (Gilgit-III), where the election was postponed due to the death of a major candidate and was held on November 22.{{cite web |last1=Mir |first1=Shabbir |title=PTI stakes claim on G-B govt |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2272317/g-b-polls-pti-leads-with-10-seats-independents-bag-7-and-ppp-3 |publisher=The Express Tribune |accessdate=19 November 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118065343/https://tribune.com.pk/story/2272317/g-b-polls-pti-leads-with-10-seats-independents-bag-7-and-ppp-3 |archivedate=18 November 2020 |date=15 November 2020 |quote="Election in GBA-3 has been postponed till November 22, following the death of contesting candidate." |url-status=live}}}}

| elected_members = Elected Members

| next_election = Next Gilgit Baltistan Assembly election

| next_year = 2025

| seats_for_election = 24 of the 33 seats in the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly{{efn|name=seats|Six seats are reserved for women, three seats are reserved for technocrats.}}

| majority_seats = 17

| registered = 745,362{{cite web |title=Summary Male, Female voters of Electoral Rolls 2020 |url=http://ecgb.gov.pk/download/Summary%20%20%20Male,%20Female%20voters%20of%20Electoral%20Rolls%202020.pdf |website=Summary Male, Female voters of Electoral Rolls 2020.pdf |publisher=Election Commission Gilgit-Baltistan |accessdate=18 November 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118200538/http://ecgb.gov.pk/download/Summary%20%20%20Male,%20Female%20voters%20of%20Electoral%20Rolls%202020.pdf |archivedate=18 November 2020 |date=12 November 2020 |url-status=live}}

| turnout = 48.12%

| image_size = 120x140px

| image1 = Flag of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.svg

| party1 = Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

| last_election1 = 1 seat, 11.11%

| seats_before1 = 1

| seats1 = 22

| seat_change1 = {{increase}} 21

| popular_vote1 = -

| percentage1 = -

| swing1 = -

| image2 = Flag of Pakistan People's Party.svg

| party2 = Pakistan Peoples Party

| last_election2 = 1 seat, 18.26%

| seats_before2 = 1

| seats2 = 5

| seat_change2 = {{increase}} 4

| popular_vote2 = -

| percentage2 = -

| swing2 = -

| image3 = PMLN 2021 Flag.png

| party3 = Pakistan Muslim League (N)

| last_election3 = 21 seats, 34.17%

| seats_before3 = 21

| seats3 = 3

| seat_change3 = {{decrease}} 18

| popular_vote3 = -

| percentage3 = -

| swing3 = -

| title = Chief Minister

| before_election = Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman

| before_party = PML(N)

| after_election = Khalid Khurshid

| after_party = PTI

| ongoing = Yes

| leader1 = Khalid Khurshid

| leader2 = Amjad Hussain Azar

| leader3 = Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman

| leaders_seat1 = Astore-I (won)

| leaders_seat2 = Gilgit-I (won)
Nagar-I (won)

| leaders_seat3 = Gilgit-II (lost)

| map_image = 2020 Gilgit-Baltistan Election.svg

| map_caption = Gilgit Baltistan Assembly Constituencies and winning parties

}}

The 2020 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections were held on 15 November 2020.{{cite web |title=President gives nod to GB general polls on Nov 15 |url=https://www.app.com.pk/national/president-gives-nod-to-gb-general-polls-on-nov-15/ |website=President gives nod to GB general polls on Nov 15 |publisher=Associated Press of Pakistan |accessdate=23 September 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923213603/https://www.app.com.pk/national/president-gives-nod-to-gb-general-polls-on-nov-15/ |archivedate=23 September 2020 |date=23 September 2020 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |author1=Sana Jamal |title=Pakistan to hold assembly elections in Gilgit-Baltistan on November 15 |url=https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/pakistan-to-hold-assembly-elections-in-gilgit-baltistan-on-november-15-1.74073803 |website=Pakistan to hold assembly elections in Gilgit-Baltistan on November 15 | Pakistan — Gulf News |publisher=Gulf News |accessdate=23 September 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923213730/https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/pakistan-to-hold-assembly-elections-in-gilgit-baltistan-on-november-15-1.74073803 |archivedate=23 September 2020 |date=23 September 2020 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=GB election commission issues schedule for Nov 15 polls |url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/309705-gb-election-commission-issues-schedule-for-nov-15-polls |website=GB election commission issues schedule for Nov 15 polls |publisher=Geo News |accessdate=27 October 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027040250/https://www.geo.tv/latest/309705-gb-election-commission-issues-schedule-for-nov-15-polls |archivedate=27 October 2020 |date=25 September 2020 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Commissioner announces Gilgit-Baltistan election schedule |url=https://nation.com.pk/25-Sep-2020/commissioner-announces-gilgit-baltistan-election-schedule |website=Commissioner announces Gilgit-Baltistan election schedule |publisher=The Nation (Newspaper) |accessdate=27 October 2020 |date=25 September 2020 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925222113/https://nation.com.pk/25-Sep-2020/commissioner-announces-gilgit-baltistan-election-schedule |archive-date=2020-09-25 }} Elections were held in 24 constituencies, each electing one member to the 3rd Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly.{{cite web |title=Members |url=https://gba.gov.pk/members/ |website=Members - Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly |publisher=Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly |accessdate=23 September 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215121723/http://gba.gov.pk/members/ |archivedate=15 February 2020 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Election Commission Gilgit-Baltistan |url=http://ecgb.gov.pk/index.htm |website=Election Commission GB |accessdate=23 September 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923223137/http://ecgb.gov.pk/index.htm |archivedate=23 September 2020 |url-status=live}} 330 candidates contested these elections,{{cite web |title=Final List of Contested Candidates With Allocated of Symbol Who Have Filed Nomination Papers With Returning Officers of 24 Constituencies of Gilgit-Baltistan |url=http://ecgb.gov.pk/download/constesting%20Candidates%202020.pdf |website=contesting Candidates 2020.pdf |publisher=Election Commission of Gilgit-Baltistan |accessdate=18 November 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118203856/http://ecgb.gov.pk/download/constesting%20Candidates%202020.pdf |archivedate=18 November 2020 |date=13 November 2020 |url-status=live}} either representing one of the political parties of Gilgit-Baltistan (at the time of the 2020 elections) or being an independent candidate.

The elections were originally scheduled to be held on 18 August 2020,{{cite web |title=Gilgit-Baltistan elections to be held on August 18 |url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/295199-gilgit-baltistan-elections-to-be-held-on-august-18 |website=Gilgit-Baltistan elections to be held on August 18 |publisher=Geo News |accessdate=23 September 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923214142/https://www.geo.tv/latest/295199-gilgit-baltistan-elections-to-be-held-on-august-18 |archivedate=23 September 2020 |date=28 June 2020 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |author1=Sajjad Ahmad |title=Polls in GB |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1567716 |website=Polls in GB - Newspaper - DAWN.COM |publisher=DAWN News |accessdate=23 September 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824225538/https://www.dawn.com/news/1567716 |archivedate=24 August 2020 |date=8 July 2020 |url-status=live}} but were postponed in July{{cite web |title=Gilgit-Baltistan elections postponed |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/684740-gilgit-baltistan-elections-postponed |website=Gilgit-Baltistan elections postponed |publisher=The News International |accessdate=23 September 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923214438/https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/684740-gilgit-baltistan-elections-postponed |archivedate=23 September 2020 |date=10 July 2020 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |author1=Shabbir Hussain |title=G-B elections postponed |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2254436/g-b-elections-postponed |website=G-B elections postponed | The Express Tribune |publisher=The Express Tribune |accessdate=23 September 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916234753/https://tribune.com.pk/story/2254436/g-b-elections-postponed |archivedate=16 September 2020 |date=11 July 2020 |url-status=live}} due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely affected Gilgit-Baltistan.

The Pakistan Army was not called in to preside over the polls at the Election, with Mir Afzal, the Caretaker Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, giving a statement that the caretaker government had the capacity to hold free, fair, and transparent elections in Gilgit-Baltistan.{{cite web |title=Army's help 'not required' for G-B polls |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2266747/armys-help-not-required-for-g-b-polls |website=Army’s help ‘not required’ for G-B polls | The Express Tribune |publisher=The Express Tribune |accessdate=27 October 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027034517/https://tribune.com.pk/story/2266747/armys-help-not-required-for-g-b-polls |archivedate=27 October 2020 |date=3 October 2020 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Army troops not to be deployed at polling stations: CM |url=https://nation.com.pk/03-Oct-2020/army-troops-not-to-be-deployed-at-polling-stations-cm |website=Army troops not to be deployed at polling stations: CM |publisher=The Nation (Newspaper) |accessdate=27 October 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027034525/https://nation.com.pk/03-Oct-2020/army-troops-not-to-be-deployed-at-polling-stations-cm |archivedate=27 October 2020 |date=3 October 2020 |url-status=live}}

Opinion polling taken before the election had shown the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), the ruling party prior to the 2020 election, being the third-most-popular political party in Gilgit-Baltistan, falling from its earlier position of making the province's government and having the largest vote-bank. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which ruled nationally, led in the polls and the Pakistan Peoples Party had been shown as the second-most-popular political party.

745,362 voters in Gilgit-Baltistan had the ability to exercise their right to vote in the elections and will be able to vote across nearly 1,234 polling places across the province. This showed an increase of 126,998 new voters since 2015, when only 618,364 people were registered to vote. 405,365 of the people registered to vote are male and 339,997 are female (which shows a gender gap of 9%).{{cite web |author1=Amir Wasim |title=Gender gap among GB voters widens: Fafen |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1589405 |website=Gender gap among GB voters widens: Fafen - Pakistan - DAWN.COM |publisher=DAWN.COM |accessdate=14 November 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114223656/https://www.dawn.com/news/1589405 |archivedate=14 November 2020 |date=9 November 2020 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=At a glance: Gilgit-Baltistan Elections 2020 |url=https://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/572583-glance-Gilgit-Baltistan-Elections-2020 |website=At a glance: Gilgit-Baltistan Elections 2020 - Dunya News |publisher=Dunya News |accessdate=14 November 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114224554/https://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/572583-glance-Gilgit-Baltistan-Elections-2020 |archivedate=14 November 2020 |date=9 November 2020 |url-status=live}}

The elections were postponed in the constituency GBA-3 (Gilgit-III), due to the PTI candidate in that constituency, who was the provincial party leader, dying of COVID-19 in early October. The election there were held on November 22, seven days after the election throughout the rest of Gilgit-Baltistan.{{cite web |title=PTI, PPP, PML-N eye victory as Gilgit-Baltistan prepares to vote |url=https://www.samaa.tv/news/2020/11/gilgit-baltistan-elections-2020/ |website=SAMAA - PTI, PPP, PML-N eye victory as Gilgit-Baltistan prepares to vote |publisher=SAMAA |accessdate=14 November 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114002006/https://www.samaa.tv/news/2020/11/gilgit-baltistan-elections-2020/ |archivedate=14 November 2020 |date=13 November 2020 |url-status=live}}

Preliminary and unofficial results showed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf being all set to form the next government in Gilgit-Baltistan. They had won eleven general seats, Independent politicians had won seven seats, the Pakistan Peoples Party had won three seats, the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) had won two seats, and the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen had won one seat.

In late November 2020, the final results revealed that the PTI won a two-thirds majority of seats (22 of 33). The PPP and PML-N won five and three seats, respectively.{{Cite web |title=GB elections: Official results reveal PTI as majority party with 22 seats in hand - DAWN |date=24 November 2020 |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1592140}}{{Cite web |title=Candidate Result GB Assembly Election 2020 - Elections |url=https://www.electionpakistani.com/gilgit-baltistan-2020/result.html}}

Full results by districts were published on November 24. The latter two parties made claims of election fraud and supporters staged demonstrations to protest against the alleged rigging.{{Cite web |title=GB forest dept building, 4 vehicles torched as PPP's protest against alleged rigging turns violent - DAWN |date=23 November 2020 |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1591965/gb-forest-dept-building-4-vehicles-torched-as-ppps-protest-against-alleged-rigging-turns-violent}}