Election commission takes up GB govt’s plea today against suspension of powers

GILGIT: The Election Commission of Gilgit-Baltistan (ECGB) has set Tuesday, October 28, for the preliminary hearing of a petition filed by the regional government challenging the Commission’s recent decision to suspend its administrative and financial powers ahead of the upcoming elections.

The petition, submitted through the Advocate General, seeks to overturn the ECGB’s October 21 notification (No. ELC-1(1)/GBE/2025), which froze key government functions including postings, transfers, recruitments, and discretionary spending. The Chief Election Commissioner, Raja Shahbaz Khan, will preside over the hearing to determine whether the petition is admissible.

According to the Commission’s order issued last week, the move was aimed at preventing “pre-poll manipulation” and ensuring a level playing field for all political parties. The ECGB stated that it had received multiple complaints of politically motivated postings, up-gradations, and diversion of public funds in the run-up to the elections.

The Commission’s notification barred the government from approving new development schemes or creating new administrative units until after the polls. It also prohibited the transfer of funds from approved projects to other heads without prior approval from the ECGB. The five-year term of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly expires on November 24, and an interim government will replace it till elections next year.

Officials said the Advocate General, the Minister for Law, and the Secretary for Law and Prosecution have been directed to appear before the Chief Election Commissioner to assist in the proceedings.

Meanwhile, the GB government has argued that the Commission’s decision exceeds its constitutional mandate and undermines the authority of an elected administration still in office. Political observers view the standoff as a major institutional test ahead of the region’s general elections.