The Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, has accused the Punjab government of using administrative machinery to rig the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly's election for nine seats meant for Pakistan-based Jammu & Kashmir refugees in the province.
Speaking at a news conference here on Sunday afternoon, when the voting was still going on, Wattoo strongly criticised the Punjab government, saying that the Pakistan Muslim League (N) provincial government had broken all records of rigging to ensure victory of its candidates.
He said that administration was at liberty to interfere in the polling process in districts Jhelum, Sialkot, Gujranwala , Gujrat, Narowal, Jhang and Rawalpindi. The Presiding Officers, he said, were made hostage, and PML-N legislators occupied the polling stations and displayed their power through resorting to aerial firing at several areas.
The Minister said that administration should not have obeyed the directives because it was meant to serve the country and not to the wishes of ruling party.
However, Wattoo added that free and fair elections took place on 29 seats in AJK, and vowed that election put off in the constituencies would be held in a week or ten days. He said that he had instructed Pakistan People's Party workers to remain peaceful during the elections.
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