Maryam shares ‘rigging’ video after historic defeat in AJK polls

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz has shared a video of alleged rigging on social media, accusing polling staff of stamping ballot for a PTI candidate during Sunday’s Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s PTI emerged as the single-largest party after clinching at least 25 out of 45 seats in AJK elections held on July 25. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) came in second with 11 seats while the PML-N bagged six seats.

In a tweet, Maryam claimed on Tuesday that polling staff were stamping ballots for the candidate of ruling party at Sheikh Soli primary school polling station in Forward Kahuta, an area of AJK’s Haveli district.

“Same was done at the girls’ school next door. This video was made by a FC [Frontier Constabulary] constable who was stopping them,” she added.

In the purported video, one of the policemen deployed for AJK election duty can be heard telling the polling staff that they were doing an “illegal and inappropriate” act.

“That's not fair. If someone asked us what you were doing, what would we answer,” the policeman added.

The poling staff told the policeman that his job was only to provide security and not to interfere in the polling process.

Later, the policeman asked his colleagues sitting outside the polling station to inform the senior inspector about the alleged rigging.