Pakistan Army’s ‘Dirty Game’ In Gilgit-Baltistan Elections; Allows Free Rein For Terrorists

Lahore: Assembly elections are set to take place in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region. At a time when deep-seated resentment against the government and the military is evident among the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, the Pakistan Army is determined to maintain its stranglehold over the region at all costs.

In a bid to secure favorable outcomes in the assembly elections scheduled for June 7, the Pakistan Army - under the leadership of General Asim Munir - is actively engaged in a crackdown on opposition leaders. The military is taking continuous action against mainstream opposition figures. Furthermore, in an effort to retain its grip on the province, banned terrorist organizations are being co-opted into the political mainstream.

Has Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan Entered the Fray?

According to a media report citing top Indian intelligence sources, a calculated strategy is being executed to manipulate the election results; as part of this nefarious plot, banned terrorist organizations are being surreptitiously brought into the political mainstream. The situation has reached a point where Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) is actively contesting these elections. It is pertinent to note that Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) remains officially proscribed under Pakistan's own 'Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997'.

This video clip reflects the mindset of people who consider the killing of innocents as jihad. You may understand who and which place I am referring to. In Chilas, Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan, look at how machine guns are being fired to welcome an election candidate.🤔 pic.twitter.com/jdX5EJFfti

— Hassina Banoo 🇮🇳 (@HBjournalist) May 23, 2026

Is This An Attempt to Stifle the Voices of the People?

According to analysts, this is not the first instance in Pakistan where a terrorist group has been granted carte blanche—via the back door—to participate in elections. In the past, Lashkar-e-Taiba was similarly accorded such latitude, operating under the guise of a political party known as the Milli Muslim League. Now, the Army seeks to use the TLP as a proxy to stifle the voices of the local populace in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Is PTI in the Crosshairs?

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) currently finds itself in the Army's crosshairs. Security forces have arrested senior PTI leaders in the Hunza region of Gilgit-Baltistan while they were engaged in election campaigning. Among those detained were Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Junaid Akbar Khan, and Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) Saleemur Rahman and Syed Mehboob Shah. It is reported that these leaders were apprehended on charges of lacking the requisite No Objection Certificates (NOCs). They were immediately issued an order to vacate the area.

Why is Asim Munir's Pakistan Army Apprehensive?

The government's and the army's fear is cited as the driving force behind this systematic suppression of the opposition. Amidst widespread public outrage, the army fears that it might lose its grip on this region. Alongside crushing opposition leaders, the army has employed yet another stratagem: it has fielded its own preferred faces in the electoral arena. Out of a total of 403 candidates, 272 are independents. Significantly, many of these individuals are mere government pawns enjoying the full backing of the administration and the state machinery. A powerful narrative has been manufactured to favor these proxy candidates.

Looking at the remaining candidates, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has 22 candidates in the fray, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has 23. Both parties are receiving covert support from the army behind the scenes. All in all, in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections, the army is proceeding according to a "Heads I Win, Tails You Lose" formula.

According to top intelligence officials and analysts monitoring the region, the combined maneuvers of the army and the Shehbaz government clearly indicate that both have failed to provide the people of Gilgit-Baltistan with basic amenities and freedoms. Given the dire state of the economy, any talk of development proves to be utterly futile. Ultimately, rather than addressing the people's grievances, the army has resolved to perpetuate its rule through a series of machinations. These actions by the army expose its nefarious and repressive character.