Pak opposition accuses Imran Khan-led govt of 'rigging' PoK election
Jul 25, 2021
Islamabad [Pakistan], July 25 : Pakistan's opposition parties on Sunday accused the Imran Khan-led-PTI government of "rigging" in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections.
During the polls, two Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers were killed in a clash with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) activists at a polling station in the Kotli district of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
PPP Senator Sherry Rehman blamed the Centre for "systematic rigging" and said it was attempting to "steal" the elections, reported Geo News.
The PPP leader alleged PTI workers had fired at a PPP worker's car during polling time, while police had uprooted a camp belonging to her party.
"There is a clear difference between the voter lists of several polling stations [...] PPP has submitted a written complaint to the PoK Election Commission," she said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb in a statement, claimed PTI "goons" had attacked her party's workers in Gujranwala's Alipur Chatha area to "rig" the election.
Aurangzeb said despite PTI workers beating up her party workers, the police "arrested those associated with PML-N". "PTI has been allowed to engage in hooliganism with complete liberty," she said.
The spokesperson alleged PoK Election Commission officials refused to accept PML-N's written complaints, saying they would accept them after permission from the chief election commissioner, reported Geo News.
"Complaints of violence and rigging do not meet the criteria for a transparent election," she stated.
"Women voters are being treated insultingly," she added and claimed that there are reports of votes being stamped inside the polling station with the help of staff.
Last year, Pakistan had conducted the Legislative Assembly election in occupied Gilgit-Baltistan.
The main opposition parties-- Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and PPP-- had termed the occupied Gilgit-Baltistan election rigged as the polls were in favour of Imran Khan's PTI party.
