PML-N issues white paper on ‘rigging’ in G-B polls

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday issued a white paper on the alleged rigging in the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Legislative Assembly polls and warned the incumbent regime of “dire consequences” if “such practice” was adopted in the Azad Kashmir polls.

“A ‘selected’ government has been imposed through undemocratic means in Gilgit-Baltistan,” PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal said while addressing a news conference in the federal capital.

He was flanked by other party leaders including Khurram Dastgir, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman and Marriyum Aurangzeb.

Ahsan said he had repeatedly warned that G-B strategically and politically was a “sensitive” region and that it was absolutely crucial to hold “free and fair elections” according to the wishes of the people there.

He alleged that every code of conduct marked by the election commission was violated during the G-B polls as the premier and the ministers visited the region, which he said was against the law.

“Yet, the PTI could not even get simple majority and had to ‘beg’ the independents to join them to make the government. The long-term results of this could be devastating for the country,” he said.

The PML-N leader warned the ruling party of resorting to “unfair means” during the elections in Azad Kashmir and maintained that the PML-N would guard the sanctity of the vote like “lions” at all the polling stations and will not let the mandate of the people get “robbed again”.

G-B former chief minister Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman said that they were handing over the white paper to the PDM, which would now fight their case.

The PTI had emerged victorious on 10 seats in the G-B elections which were held in November last year. Seven seats were won by independent candidates while the JUI and MWM secured one seat each.

The PPP and PML-N — both of which had levelled allegations of rigging — held five and three seats, respectively.

PTI formed government in the region after the independent candidates joined the ruling party and seat adjustment with the MWM.

Khalid Khurshid Khan of the PTI was elected as chief minister of the G-B while PPP’s Amjad Hussain as leader of the opposition.