Pakistan's ex-PM Nawaz Sharif visits Gilgit-Baltistan ahead of regional elections

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region on Tuesday to meet party leaders and election candidates, as his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) steps up preparations for upcoming regional polls in the strategically significant territory. Sharif, who also serves as president of the ruling PML-N party, arrived in Gilgit accompanied by senior party figures and federal ministers, including Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Senator Anusha Rahman and party leader Kazim Pirzada. He was received at Gilgit airport by Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam, former Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman, Captain (Retd.) Muhammad Safdar and other local party officials. During the one-day visit, Sharif is expected to hold consultations with the party’s regional leadership and meet PML-N-backed candidates contesting the forthcoming Gilgit-Baltistan elections. Discussions are likely to focus on campaign strategy, electoral coordination and the party’s organizational preparations ahead of the vote. The visit underscores the PML-N’s efforts to strengthen its political foothold in Gilgit-Baltistan, a mountainous region bordering China, India and Afghanistan that holds strategic importance for Pakistan due to its location along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Gilgit-Baltistan has long remained politically sensitive and is viewed as a key area in Islamabad’s broader regional and economic strategy.