Mirpur by-polls: AJK govt agrees to deploy army

MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has given approval to deploy Rangers or Pakistan Army during Mirpur by-elections on March 29. This was decided in a meeting chaired by the AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed in Mirpur. “It is our duty to ensure transparent by-polls in LA-3 and the government will follow the demand of Election Commission of AJK to deploy Rangers or Pakistan Army on polling day,” he said. The AJK premier further said that all resources have been provided to AJK Election Commission for ensuring transparent, fair and peaceful by-elections. Majeed rejected opposition’s allegations that the government was using state resources to run the campaign of ruling party candidate Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf. PPP candidate Ashraf is contesting against the PTI AJK head Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry and PML-N contestant Arashid Ghazi.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2015.