GHIZER: Pakistan Peoples Party’s Syed Jalal Ali Shah has won the GBA-19 Ghizer-I constituency in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly Elections 2026, claiming his first-ever electoral victory in a keenly contested race.
According to official results, Shah secured 9,303 votes, defeating PML-N’s Zafar Muhammad Shadam Khel, who finished second with 7,440 votes. Nawaz Khan Naji, Chairman of the Balawaristan National Front contesting as an independent candidate, came third with 6,800 votes.
A total of eight candidates contested the seat across 78 polling stations. The constituency has 45,885 registered voters, of whom 26,206 cast their ballots, reflecting a voter turnout of 57 percent.
The victory holds particular significance as Shah, who hails from an influential Pir family with deep roots in the region’s politics, had long been a prominent political figure without a legislative win to his name. His father, Pir Karam Ali Shah, previously served as Chief Executive of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Notably, the result ends Nawaz Khan Naji’s remarkable run of three consecutive victories in the constituency, marking a significant shift in Ghizer-I’s political landscape in favour of the PPP.
