ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan may not visit Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) ahead of July 25 general elections due to electoral restrictions on visits of government officials in the areas where election schedule is announced while all three major political parties - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) - have geared up their respective election campaigns.
The PM was considering visiting AJK ahead of the elections in order to boost PTI's election campaign, a PTI senator told Business Recorder.
However, the Premier has been briefed that visiting AJK after the announcement of election schedule would be a violation of AJK electoral laws, the source said.
Following this development, he is now considering a meeting with political leaders of AJK in Islamabad, the insider added.
Centre, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan have three separate election commissions but electoral laws of all these three ECs bar visits of government officials and related dignitaries in any constituency where election or by-election schedule has been announced, till the announcement of election result.
Apart from PM, Shehbaz Sharif has also not visited AJK due to the reason that PML-N is outgoing ruling party in AJK, and the visit of Shehbaz, who is the N-League chief, would be a violation of code of conduct, sources told Business Recorder.
"Maryam Nawaz is in AJK mainly because she is neither a lawmaker nor a party head. Shehbaz's case is different," said a PML-N leader, requesting anonymity.
He, however, said Shehbaz's visit to AJK is still under consideration. "If AJK EC takes notice against his (Shehbaz's) visit then we will decide what to do," he said.
Speaking to Business Recorder, Rana Sanaullah, one of the most trusted confidantes of Shehbaz Sharif, insisted that election laws in AJK do not bar Shehbaz's visit to AJK. "It's the PTI that can influence elections because it is the ruling party at the centre. Our government in AJK has completed its tenure, although technically Raja Farooq Haider is still PM AJK. How can PML-N influence elections in AJK without any position of power at the centre?" he said. Separate visits of Maryam and Shehbaz to AJK have been planned to give impetus to PML-N's election campaign, he said.
"If Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, as head of PPP, can visit AJK and EC allows his visit, then why not Shehbaz?" he said. Amidst increased election hype, PTI, PML-N and PPP recently revised their nominations for AJK polls.
PTI and PML-N have fielded their candidates on all the 45 AJK Legislative Assembly seats while PPP has fielded candidates on 44 seats. Traditionally, general polls in AJK and GB are regarded as an 'establishment show' and ruling party at the centre tends to form the government in AJK and GB.
However, this time around, the opposition parties are hopeful that recent setbacks in by-elections have dented PTI's political graph in AJK and PML-N, arch political rival of PTI, is set to cash in on the situation.
However political pundits argue that differences between opposition parties and internal cracks in the PML-N would benefit PTI in the AJK polls. Presidents of PTI, PML-N and PPP AJK chapters Barrister Sultan Mehmood, Farooq Haider and Latif Akbar are contesting AJK polls.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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