ISLAMABAD: The opposition parties on Sunday accused the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government of 'rigging' the July 25 elections for Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
According to reports, at least two people were killed due to clashes between political parties in Kotli, while two others who were injured are being treated at a hospital, police said before the polling ended at 5pm.
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) vice-president Senator Sherry Rehman accused the PTI-led federal government of a 'systematic rigging' and said it was attempting to steal the AJK elections.
She claimed that PTI workers fired on 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 AJK Election Commission," she added.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokeswoman Marriyum Aurangzeb, in a statement, claimed PTI goons had attacked her party workers in Gujranwala's Alipur Chatha area to rig the election.
She said that despite PTI workers beating up her party workers, the police arrested those associated with PML-N, adding PTI has been allowed to engage in hooliganism with complete liberty.
She alleged that AJK Election Commission officials refused to accept PML-N's written complaints, saying they would accept them after permission from the chief election commissioner.
"Complaints of violence and rigging do not meet the criteria for a transparent election," she added.
Aurangzeb had earlier drawn the attention to what she had termed as irregularities being reported from various constituencies.
"Complaints of polling agents being prevented from entering polling stations and closure of polling are increasing," she added.
She claimed that polling has been stalled for two hours at Girls Primary School Kangarhariwala, Union Council Komi Kot.
"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.
She claimed that no polling agent was allowed to enter LA-32 Chakar, LA-33 Goharabad except that of PTI.
"The tactics of 2018 and Daska elections are being repeated openly," Marriyum said, adding: "If any untoward situation arises then Imran sahib will be responsible."
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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