Islamabad: Pakistan's main political parties yesterday wound up their hectic electioneering campaigns in northern Gilgit-Baltistan region ahead of polls there to elect a legislative council.
The country's ruling Pakistan Peoples Party has put up candidates for all 23 general seats of the 34-member council up for the grabs in the elections today.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), political ally of PPP, has fielded candidates on 19 seats, followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Q with candidates on 15 seats and main opposition PML-N vying for 14 seats.
PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif has been feverishly involved in the party's campaign, delivering a series of public speeches in which he promised to bring development to the region.
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani addressed a large political rally yesterday at Skardu in Baltistan, assuring free, fair and transparent polls and level-playing field for all parties.
He said people of Gilgit-Baltistan would have internal autonomy with their own chief minister, independent public service commission, separate judiciary and election commission.
Gilani announced that 200 new schools and 100 dispensaries would start working in Skardu by the year's end.
The prime minister said he had already allocated Rs2 billion (Dh158 million) for education and Rs1 billion for health sectors in the Gilgit-Baltistan.
The status of the region has been subject of a controversy, with a segment claiming it was historically a part of Kashmir and the others demanding the region's representation in the Pakistan parliament.
