PPP and PML-N Hold Talks in Gilgit as Election Panel Orders Re-polls

Overview

• Provisional counts from the June 7 vote left no party with a majority and put the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ahead as the single largest party with 10 of 24 contested seats.
• Senior PPP and PML-N delegations met in Gilgit to exchange proposals and agreed to send those options to their regional and central leaderships for further consultation.
• PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and PML-N leader Ishaq Dar spoke by phone and signalled that the single largest party should be given the first opportunity to form the government.
• The Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission has ordered re-polling at 26 polling stations across five constituencies for June 15 and has directed recounts in some areas, pausing finalisation of those results.
• Several parties including PTI and JUI-F have formally challenged results, citing delayed counts and missing Form 45 documentation, which could extend negotiations and affect when a coalition government is confirmed.