PML-N Names Candidates for Gilgit-Baltistan Polls: Hafeez ur Rehman Returns, 14 Tickets Confirmed Across 8 Districts

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PML-N candidates Gilgit-Baltistan election 2026 Hafeez ur Rehman

Islamabad — The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has formally issued party tickets for the 2026 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly election, finalising candidates across at least 14 of the region’s 24 contested constituencies. The list — released under the direction of party president Nawaz Sharif following a formal party meeting — sets the stage for one of the most consequential PML-N campaigns the region has seen since 2015.

The headline name on the ticket list is Hafeez ur Rehman, the former Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister, who has been nominated from GBA-2 Gilgit-II. Rehman, who led the previous PML-N government in GB from 2015 to 2020, is widely seen as the party’s most recognisable face in the region.

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Full PML-N Candidate Slate

According to the party’s authority letters, the following candidates have been fielded:

Gilgit District

GBA-1 (Gilgit-I): Muhammad Shafiquddin
GBA-2 (Gilgit-II): Hafeez ur Rehman (former Chief Minister)

Ghizer District

GBA-19 (Ghizer-I): Zafar Muhammad
GBA-20 (Ghizer-II): Abdul Jehan
GBA-21 (Ghizer-III): Ghulam Muhammad

Ghanche District

GBA-22 (Ghanche-I): Muhammad Ibrahim Sanai

Diamer District

GBA-15 (Diamer-I): Abdul Wajid

Shigar District

GBA-12 (Shigar): Muhammad Tahir Unhar Shigri

Kharmang District

GBA-11 (Kharmang): Syed Mohsin Rizvi

Other Constituencies

GBA-13: Farman Ali
GBA-14: Rana Muhammad Farooq
GBA-16: Engineer Muhammad Anwar
GBA-17: Muhammad Zaman
GBA-18: Malik Kifayat ur Rehman

Hafeez ur Rehman: The Party’s Anchor

Hafeez ur Rehman served as the 8th Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan from 2015 to 2020, presiding over the establishment of the GB Hydel Power Development Authority, the rollout of the Karakoram International University expansion, and significant federal-funded development projects in the region.

His re-entry into electoral politics from Gilgit-II — a seat he has previously contested successfully — is viewed by party insiders as both a personal return and a strategic anchor to mobilise the party’s traditional vote bank in the Gilgit district.

Strategy: Federal Leverage

PML-N’s pitch to GB voters leans heavily on its position in Islamabad. As the senior party in the federal coalition government — alongside the PPP and other allies — PML-N is arguing that a vote for the party in Gilgit-Baltistan is a vote for direct federal alignment, easier access to development funds, and continuity on major regional projects including hydroelectric expansion and the Karakoram Highway upgrade under CPEC Phase 2.

Critics, however, argue that the same coalition dynamic in Islamabad has produced uneven results: PPP and PML-N nominally allied at the centre but competing fiercely at the GB constituency level, which has already triggered defections (covered in our separate report).

PTI Still the Party to Beat

Despite the PML-N’s confident candidate launch, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf remains the dominant electoral force in the outgoing assembly, having held power in the region since 2020. PTI is contesting roughly 20 of the 24 directly elected seats. Recent polls suggest the party retains strong support, though the absence of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan from active campaigning is a complicating factor.

What Comes Next for PML-N

With nominations now finalised, the party is expected to launch its formal Gilgit-Baltistan campaign within days. Nawaz Sharif is reported to be planning at least two rallies in the region — one in Gilgit and one in Skardu — before polling day on June 7, 2026.

The PML-N campaign manifesto for GB is expected to focus on: