Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has accused the federal government of pre-poll rigging in Azaad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections.
“By selectively doling out development funds to candidates belonging only to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) the federal government has resorted to a worst form pre-poll rigging that must not be allowed”, he said in a statement today. The Pakistan People’s Party condemns this devious scheme to manipulate elections and demands that this illegal practice is stopped forthwith, he said.
There also are disturbing reports that non-Kashmiri Pakistani citizens living elsewhere in the country have been registered as voters in various constituencies in connivance with some federal government agencies, he said.
He said that adding new voters in lists sent by Azad Kashmir Election Commission was not in the domain of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).
The PPP wishes to put on notice all departments to be careful and not give in to the inducements or threats that may be hurled at them to rig the Kashmir polls.
It appears that the PML-N leadership has not learnt any lessons from its mistakes and is bent upon repeating them he said. It will be most unfortunate and undermine political stability if the forthcoming Kashmir elections lost credibility even before these were held. The PPP cannot and will not permit any rigging in the elections, he said.
