IPP to contest all seats in GB polls

——– Forms parliamentary board

By Ali Imran

ISLAMABAD: The Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) on Tuesday decided to field candidates on all seats in the upcoming Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) general elections scheduled for June 7, and constituted a parliamentary board to finalize nominations.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the party held under the chairmanship of its President Abdul Aleem Khan, attended by senior leadership to devise a comprehensive strategy for the elections, said a press release issued here.
During the meeting, participants reviewed potential candidates from different constituencies and shared their strategies for the Gilgit-Baltistan elections. General Secretary IPP Pakistan Mian Khalid Mahmood, President Punjab Rana Nazeer Ahmed Khan, President Lahore Division Malik Zaman Naseeb and Mian Taimur Khalid were present in the meeting.
Senior leaders held detailed discussions on the local influence and political standing of prospective party candidates in Gilgit-Baltistan. The meeting expressed confidence that the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party would achieve significant success in the coming elections.
It was emphasized that with better planning and effective policies, the northern areas could be developed into a major tourism hub.
The meeting members stressed that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan have the fundamental right to receive basic facilities similar to other provinces and the party wouldl ensure this through its manifesto. It was also decided that the party would soon finalize the names of its candidates with all approvals to be granted by the Parliamentary Board. Party leaders assured President Abdul Aleem Khan that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan trust the Party’s manifesto and would support the IPP with a strong majority in the upcoming elections.
It is noteworthy that Secretary General Mian Khalid Mahmood with the approval of Party President Abdul Aleem Khan has constituted a 20-Member Parliamentary Election Board. The Board included President Abdul Aleem Khan, General Secretary Mian Khalid Mahmood and Aoun Chaudhry, Munazza Hassan, Gul Asghar Baghoor, Syed Samsam Ali Bukhari, G.G. Jamal, Rana Nazeer Ahmed, Chaudhry Zaheer-ud-Din, Chaudhry Nauriz Shakoor, Syed Rafaqat Ali Gilani, Raja Yawar Kamal, Mamoon Jafar Tarar, Haji Gulbar Khan, Raja Jalal Hussain, Shams-ul-Haq Lone, Fatahullah Khan, Muhammad Shoaib Siddiqui, Ghazanfar Abbas Chheena and Malik Zaman Naseeb.
The first meeting of the Board has also been scheduled for Wednesday, where decisions regarding ticket allocation and other key matters for the upcoming elections of Gilgit- Baltistan would be finalized.