A close contest between a PPP and an independent candidate is expected as the by-election in the GBA-09 (Skardu-III) constituency is set for Saturday.
asserted
election → expect → Saturday
The GB Election Commission had announced the by-election in the constituency after the GB Supreme Appellate Court had disqualified PPP candidate Fida Muhammad Nashad, who had been notified as a returned candidate in the June polls.
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who → announce → polls
Nashad’s son, Akhtar Abbas, will now contest the elections on PPP’s ticket, while Mohammad Ajmal will be in the field from PML-N. Former minister Mohammad Saleem, who is contesting as an independent, will also be among 10 candidates who have filed their nomination papers.
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who → contest → papers
According to the election schedule, 33,000 voters will cast their ballots as polling will run from 8am to 5pm.
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polling → accord → pm
In a statement issued on Friday, GB Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Raja Shahbaz Khan said that security, deployment of polling staff and other arrangements had been completed for the by-election GBA-09 (Skardu-III).
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security → issue → election
He expressed his determination to conduct “transparent, impartial and peaceful” elections and provide voters with the facilities to cast their vote without fear.
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He → express → fear
Khan also directed the institutions and officials concerned to fulfil their duties responsibly and effectively during the electoral process.
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Khan → direct → process
“No kind of obstruction in the polling process will be tolerated,” he warned.
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he → tolerate → process
Analysts said a close contest between PPP’s Abbas and the independent candidate is expected.
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contest → say → Abbas
They said that the PPP candidate retains his father’s vote bank and could have the public’s sympathy after GB’s top court disqualified Nashad.
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court → say → Nashad
On the other hand, Saleem — winner from the same constituency in the 2020 GB general elections — had managed to be the runner-up in the June polls.
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Saleem → manage → polls
District Returning Officer (DRO) Hamza Murad also told Dawn that all arrangements and the security plan had been finalised for the by-election, with the polling staff and paraphernalia also dispatched.
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staff → tell → election
GBA-09 has a total of 61 polling stations, of which 25 have been declared “sensitive” in Category A, 11 termed “medium” under Category B, and another 25 deemed normal in Category C, the DRO said.
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DRO → have → C
“Personnel from GB Police, GB Scouts and the armed forces have been deployed accordingly,” Murad added.
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Murad → deploy → Police
Separately, GB Chief Secretary Arshad Majeed and the GB CEC held a meeting on Friday to review the security plan, law and order and arrangements at polling stations, according to a statement.
“The chief election commissioner expressed his determination to conduct transparent, impartial and peaceful elections, while the chief secretary assured full cooperation from the provincial government,” it stated.
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it → hold → government
Shakoor Abdullah, a local journalist, told Dawn that voters in the constituency were enthusiastic to use their right to vote.
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voters → tell → right
Currently, PPP has 13 seats in the GB Assembly, PML-N has nine, the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) has six, while Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) and a PTI-backed independent occupy one seat each.
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Muslimeen → have → seat
According to Forms 47 and 48 issued by the GB Election Commission, Nashad, the PPP candidate and veteran politician, had won a GB Assembly seat from GBA-09 (Skardu-III) in the June 7 general elections.
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Nashad → accord → elections
However, his opponent, Zakir Hussain, had challenged his eligibility to become a member of the assembly before the GB Supreme Appellate Court.
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opponent → challenge → Court
On June 19, GB Supreme Appellate Court Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan issued an order suspending the issuance of the result from the constituency until the case was decided.
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case → issue → constituency
In its verdict on July 9, the GB Supreme Appellate Court had disqualified PPP candidate Nashad for concealing his assets in his nomination papers, setting aside the GB Chief Court’s decision that had allowed him to contest the elections.
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him → disqualify → elections
The court declared the GB Chief Court’s order dated May 25, 2026 “null and void” and upheld the election tribunal’s decision.
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order → declare → decision
Nashad’s nomination papers were initially rejected by the returning officer (RO), prompting him to challenge the decision before the election tribunal.
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papers → reject → tribunal
The tribunal, however, upheld the RO’s decision.
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tribunal → uphold → decision
Subsequently, Nashad challenged the tribunal’s verdict in the GB Chief Court, which allowed him to contest the elections.
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him → challenge → elections
After the verdict was issued by the GB Supreme Appellate Court, the GB Election Commission announced a by-election in GBA-09 on September 5.
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Commission → issue → September
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