GILGIT: The Election Commission of Gilgit-Baltistan (ECGB) has rejected as fake a notification circulating on social media claiming the disqualification of election candidate Riyaz Akbar.
In a statement, the commission clarified that the document was not issued by the ECGB and has no legal or official status.
According to the commission, the forged notification unlawfully used the name and signature of the Provincial Election Commissioner. It warned that creating and spreading such fake documents is a criminal offence and said action would be taken against those involved.
The ECGB urged voters, political parties and media outlets to verify information through official sources and avoid relying on unconfirmed documents shared online.
It stressed that only information released through its authorised channels should be considered authentic and reiterated its commitment to conducting free, fair and transparent elections in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Meanwhile, polling is underway for the general elections on 24 seats of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly in what is expected to be a closely fought contest.
Voting began in the morning and will continue until 5pm without interruption. More than 958,000 registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots, while 403 candidates are contesting the 24 assembly seats.
