Azad Jammu and Kashmir Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Raja Farooq Haider Khan Tuesday expressed the confidence that his party would emerge as the “largest single party” in Thursday’s general elections and form the next government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
“Despite all odds, delaying tactics of appointing the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) by the sitting government of PPP in AJK and some flaws in the voters’ list, PML-N will be victorious in the polls by the grace of Allah Almighty,” he told APP.
As per the constitutional requirement, he said, the appointment of CEC should had been made on April 9, 2015, but the AJK government delayed it willfully casting doubts on transparency of the final voters’ list.
In 2011, he said some ministers of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government in AJK had got registered some doubtful votes, which were needed to be removed from the list.
He said although there still existed some doubts on the final voters’ list but by and large it was a good and acceptable, adding “I must appreciate that the election commission has performed its job well under the leadership of CEC Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal and did the work which could not have been done in past several tenures.”
Answering a question, the PML-N top leader said that the election commission was not supposed to become active only during election days or a few days before and after the elections rather the nature of its duty demanded consistency from one election to the other with improved and transparent arrangements.
He said the commission had not its own battalion to ensure peace during elections, but it had the authority to call in army, rangers and other law enforcement agencies for assistance to maintain law and order for the fair-play.
To another query, Raja Farooq said the AJK government of PPP wanted to create chaos and law and order situation, which was evident from the fact that its men not only threatened and injured PML-N workers but also killed our two workers, besides setting on fire some shops. “PPP is not willing to shun the politics of confrontation and still applying the same old tactics to make the election process tense one,” he added.
He said the election contest was between “two ideologies – the one whose followers did not want any change and continue with the same situation and the others, who wanted to change the system and bring prosperity and massive development, which was the hallmark of PML-N.
Commenting on the killings of innocent people and Kashmiri leader Burhan Wani in Occupied Kashmir by Indian troops, he said Burhan Wani created awareness among the youth about their right to self-determination, using social media. He was a beacon of light for the new generation that is carrying a new thought and philosophy, which took birth after the 1989.
This thought and philosophy is going to strengthen and get momentum in the days to come, he reckoned.
“India may do whatsoever it wants, deploy its all army in Occupied Kashmir, but cannot make the people of Kashmir slave in any way and suppress their voice for freedom,” he added.
He pointed out that following the recent atrocities of Indian Forces, the international media had reported that it witnessed severe hatred against India among the people of Kashmir, which was seen never before.
Whereas, the Indian media was in the grip of hawkish elements, which always supported India despite the fact that it was a culprit, and did propaganda against Pakistan and Kashmir.
“Indian media always protected its country in all wrongdoings,” he maintained.
Farooq Haider said that sacrifices rendered by people of Kashmir would not go waste and sooner or later they would get rid of Indian subjugation.
