ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday warned of "serious consequences" if strategy of "election engineering" was repeated in the forthcoming elections in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
The PML-N senior leaders including Ahsan Iqbal and former chief minister Gilgit-Baltistan Hafeezur Rehman, through a press conference shared a "white paper" on alleged irregularities and pressure tactics used to influence the recently-held elections in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Ahsan Iqbal alleged that through a systematic way, the PML-N was prevented to take handsome share in the GB legislative assembly and "blue-eyed" political caretaker set up was established before the polls to pave the way for the PTI to form the government.
He alleged that Prime Minister Imran Khan and the federal ministers were allowed to openly violate the election code of conduct of the local election commission.
"The prime minister had also breached the national consensus reached among the political leadership of the country in presence of Chief of Army Staff and DG ISI with regard to reforms in Gilgit-Baltistan," he further alleged.
Ahsan Iqbal further said that he also had lodged complaints with the chief election commissioner of the GB, who according to him expressed his inability to do anything with regard to ensuring the elections' code of conduct.
"Despite all these things, a drama was staged in the GB and on the pattern of Pakistan's "selected" government; a "selected" government was imposed on the GB. But I salute the people of GB who defeated the PTI despite all these tactics and worse pre-poll riggings, the PTI only won eight seats and pressure was put on the independents to join the PTI," he alleged.
"This is the story of utter disrespect of the vote which started from the general elections of 2018 and was also repeated in the GB elections," he maintained.
He warned against any effort of rigging in forthcoming elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
"If anybody tried to repeat the same tactics in the AJK elections, they would be agents of Modi, because India would be the ultimate beneficiary of any conflict in the AJK," he warned, adding that the government and its minister should refrain from playing with the future of the country.
He further said that the PML-N has started preparation to safeguard every polling station across the country in the forthcoming elections. "If anybody made any attempt of rigging, they would face the consequences...we would protect the peoples' right to rule at every cost," he added.
Presenting the "white-paper", Hafeezur Rehman said that six months before the elections in GB his party's government was "seized" through the chief election commissioner, by stopping all the ongoing development projects.
He alleged that the due process for appointment of the chief election commissioner was violated and the procedure of caretaker set up was made without following the set precedence.
He said that the caretaker chief minister was not allowed to make his own interim cabinet, rather "disputed" and political persons were "selected" as the caretaker cabinet members by the PM House in Islamabad.
"The caretakers were installed in 14 constituencies with a task to breakaway potential candidates of the other parries...it's a fact and not an allegation," he claimed.
He said that the due time of elections was August 18 and the election schedule was changed without taking rest of the parties into confidence.
Meanwhile, the PML-N announced that arrangements have been finalised for Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)'s protest rally outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on January 19, 2021 to press the election body for an early decision on ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)'s foreign funding case.
A consultative meeting of the PML-N was held here at the residence of party leader Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, in which the party discussed its strategy for the PDM's upcoming rally.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, party's secretary information Marriyum Aurangzeb and Tariq Fazal Chaudhry called for the ECP's early decision on the foreign funding case.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the PML-N has finalized its strategy for January 19 PDM rally outside the Election Commission, adding, Maryam Nawaz will lead the party in the rally.
She said that the PML-N rally will start from its central secretariat in Islamabad, while the party's supporters from Rawalpindi will start their rally from Allama Iqbal Park.
She questioned the continued delay in decision on foreign funding case, adding that the PTI has now admitted to the illegal fund-raising abroad.
Referring to the legal notice of Rs500 million served on her by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Mirza Shahzad Akbar, the PML-N spokesperson downplayed the notice, and advised the special assistant to "raise the price for the breach of his respect".
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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