Saeed Ghani accuses PML-N of being behind death; Azma says ballot papers were found at PPP candidate’s residence
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan People’s Party, coalition partners in the federal government, leveled accusations of manipulation at each other when the death of a party worker marred elections to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
The PPP alleged that a party worker was murdered in Kotli, and party president Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari condemned him.
Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani accused the PML-N of being behind the murder, alleging that the shooting was the result of an election campaign marred by code of conduct violations and attempts to influence voters.
In a joint press conference, Ghani said that Mukhtar Younus, a 35-year-old party worker, had been killed during the elections in Nikyal and alleged that the party had received information indicating that the dismissal had come from the PML-N candidate or his supporters, adding that several PPP workers had also been injured.
“The way this election campaign was carried out, the result is that bullets are being fired today,” he said. “Our workers are dying.”
Questioning the Electoral Commission’s handling of the polls, Ghani said that repeated violations of the code of conduct had not been checked and that the Electoral Commission’s role was “simply not visible.”
He also accused the Punjab government of trying to influence voters by advertising buses for AJK during the election campaign. “If these buses had been sent before the election campaign, we would have appreciated it,” he said. “These are not gifts; they are attempts to influence the elections. This kind of drama is being staged to buy the votes of politically conscious Kashmiris.”
Ghani also criticized PML-N President Nawaz Sharif’s recent comments comparing Kashmir with Kashmore and Mirpur with Mirpur Khas, saying they had offended people in Sindh.
“When you say ‘this is Kashmir, not Kashmore’ or ‘this is Mirpur, not Mirpur Khas’, you hurt the people of Sindh,” he said. “Maybe that’s why people say that the PML-N is not a national party but a Punjabi party.”
He said similar tactics had been employed during the Gilgit-Baltistan elections and rejected depictions of Karachi as a failed city. “Almost every household in Britain has a connection with Karachi. They know what Karachi is and what Sindh is,” he said, adding that many Kashmiris also lived in Sindh.
“If the elections are held fairly, I hope the results will be no different from those in Britain.”
Meanwhile, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari projected the provincial government’s governance and development performance as the party’s main election message, while accusing rival parties of relying on criticism and fraud instead of performance.
Addressing a press conference at the Punjab Directorate General of Public Relations (DGPR), Azma said the PML-N expected AJK voters to judge political parties based on their governance and manifestos rather than “disrespectful criticism” of their opponents. He also accused the PPP of manipulation.
Sharing a video with the media, Azma claimed that a PML-N candidate from Kotli and a UK-based PML-N representative had discovered bags containing “vote papers” at the residence of a PPP candidate.
He further alleged that some people fled the scene carrying bags full of fake votes to help the PPP win.
Read: CEC urges public to fully participate in AJK polls
“Yesterday they said they would not let there be rigging. Today they are rigging,” he lamented during the press conference.
Responding to criticism from opposition parties over the provision of buses to AJK, Azma said critics argued that buses should not be seen as gifts because public transport was a basic requirement.
“If buses are truly a basic need, why don’t you offer this service to people who live in the provinces you govern?”
The minister also clarified that the buses announced for AJK have not yet started operations.
The minister claimed that residents of Mirpur division were voting despite boycott calls from what she called “nefarious elements” and said Kashmiris were demanding development initiatives similar to those launched in Punjab, including electric buses, scholarships, Apni Chhat Apna Ghar programme, Asaan Karobar Finance and youth technical training for overseas employment under the Parwaz Card initiative.
“No other party can present the performance of the province it rules to seek votes in AJK,” he said, adding that only the PML-N had a positive governance record.
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Responding to criticism over Nawaz’s aspiration to be AJK’s chief minister, Azma said the former chief minister did not need any official designation to contribute to development, arguing that he was already providing guidance to the federal and Punjab governments and, being of Kashmiri origin, wanted to do the same in AJK.
Concluding the press conference, Azma reiterated that political parties must compete on governance and refrain from personal attacks.
“People should be persuaded to vote through manifestos and performances only,” he said.
