Three political workers were killed and 15 others wounded when workers of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) clashed in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Saturday. According to police, an exchange of fire took place between the workers of the two parties during an election campaign at Azad Kashmir's Forward Kahuta village on Saturday. PML-N candidate Chaudhry Aziz was among the injured.
Several shops and an ambulance were torched following an armed clash. One person died on Saturday while two others succumbed to injuries on Sunday morning.
A spokesperson of AJK government stated that heavy contingent of law enforcement agencies were called to control the situation.
Police registered a case against 12 persons including a PPP minister Faisal Rathore. However, no arrest was made as yet.
Meanwhile, Federal Information Minister Pervez Rashid held Chief Elections Commissioner of Azad Jammu and Kashmir responsible for killings of political workers, saying that he failed in fulfilling his responsibilities.
Talking to media here on Sunday, he said that the AJK CEC should have dismissed the corrupt executive officers and replaced them with honest and impartial officials.
He said the crackdown on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz workers by the Pakistan People's Party-led Azad Kashmir government had made free and fair elections in the region impossible.
The minister alleged that civilians in Azad Kashmir were being massacred under the supervision of the current Prime Minister in Azad Kashmir. He said weapons were being used to silence the voice of Kashmiris. He accused the PPP's current AJK leadership of killing PML-N workers and supporters. "Look who is committing a felony in Azad Kashmir" he questioned. "Two of our workers were martyred by PPP's leadership," he alleged.
Rashid said that the PML-N on the basis of its performance in the Centre and Punjab would sweep the upcoming AJK elections and would launch several mega development projects after forming government there. He said that on July 21, the people of AJK would express their confidence in the leadership of PML-N as the government of PPP did nothing during the last five years tenure in Azad Kashmir.
He also condemned the fresh killing spree in occupied Kashmir by the Indian forces and demanded of the world community and international human rights organisations to take notice of it and put pressure on India to stop sate terrorism in the occupied territory and resolve the lingering Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspirations of Kashmiri people.
On the other hand, PPPP General Secretary and former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has alleged that Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) government has soft corner for Modi government and fearing defeat in AJK election was using negative tactics.
In a statement issued here on Sunday in response to Rashid's allegations, Ashraf said that the Information Minister in his press conference instead of condemning Indian atrocities in Indian held Kashmir had levelled baseless accusations against AJK government, which amounted to hide the Indian atrocities against helpless Kashmiri people. He said that on one hand Information Minister hoodwinked people of Pakistan of these Indian atrocities and on the other was inciting PML-N goons to attack lives and properties of PPP members and sympathisers in AJK.
He said that federal ministers were campaigning for PML-N candidates with full protocol and trying to influence AJK elections. "These federal ministers are using inciting language which has turned into violent incidents against PPP workers and supporters." He said a free and fair election means defeat for PML-N in AJK.