The Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) secured a significant post-election breakthrough in Gilgit-Baltistan on Tuesday after four newly elected independent candidates announced their decision to join the party.

The announcement came after the independent lawmakers met IPP President and Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and formally declared their affiliation with the party.

The legislators joining the IPP include Muhammad Dilpazeer, elected from GBA-15 Diamer-I; Aman Ali Amir from GBA-21 Ghizer; Anwar Ali from GBA-23 Ghanche-II; and Dr Asad Shafiq from GBA-24 Ghanche-III.

Confirming the development, Dilpazeer said the four lawmakers had formed a group before joining the party.

“We four candidates have joined the IPP as a group. We are also in contact with other independent and MWM candidates,” he said.

He added that efforts would continue to bring more legislators into the party fold.

“We will also invite other candidates to join the IPP and emerge as the second-largest party in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly,” he said.

Aleem Khan welcomed the new members and described the party’s entry into the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly as a positive development.

“Representation of Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly for the first time will be a welcoming development. With hard work and honesty, the party will fully participate in the development of Gilgit-Baltistan,” he said.

The development comes days after the June 7 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections, in which the IPP fielded 16 candidates but failed to win any seats directly.

According to provisional results, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured 11 seats, followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with six seats. Four independent candidates won their constituencies, while two Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed candidates and one Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) candidate were also elected.

Results from three constituencies are still awaited and are expected to be announced on June 17.

A party requires 13 seats to form the government in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly. Despite emerging as the second-largest party, the PML-N has invited its coalition partner at the Centre, the PPP, to form the next government in the region.