So IS Pandora connected to GitS or not?

It's more likely to be connected to Appleseed.

>>14920752
I recall reading shit saying that some of the characters also appear in Arise, though.

Yes.

>>14920753
No, Shirow had original designs for Pandora, but they were all scrapped when Rikdo started the manga. Then when they made Arise they used them for random characters so there's no actual connection.

>>14920748
Pandora is clearly what's going on in the less gloomy side of the GiTS world.

>>14920748
Yes, along with Appleseed later on in the timeline.

yes but it occurs before GitS
but it wasn't written with any specific direct connection to the events in GitS
still, the references were nice, like all the companies from GitS when Nene is trying to job shadow