‘Darkest day for democracy’ PTI terms election of GB’s new CM ‘broad daylight robbery’ of public mandate

ISLAMABAD: Terming the election of new chief minister Gilgit-Baltistan “a broad daylight robbery” of public mandate, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday said that it was the “darkest day” for democracy in the country.

Reacting to the election of the new GB chief minister, PTI spokesman Rauf Hassan said that depriving a party with its 22 seats in a 33-member house was a slap on the face of democracy and the constitution.

He said that the democratic and constitutional identity of the country has been badly tarnished before the world after what was done in GB as not slight respect was shown to the people’s mandate.

“The unscrupulous criminal elements facilitated the shameful invasion of people's right to vote and democracy,” he regretted.

He said that conspiracies hatched behind closed doors turned the minority into a majority in GB like these elements did in AJK.

He warned that such unlawful and unconstitutional coercive measures to deprive the public of their mandate had disastrous consequences, as it could cause irreparable damage to national unity, solidarity, and federation.

He said that if there was any lesson from the tragedy of the fall of Dhaka, it has been completely forgotten, adding that fascist tactics to cut the bonds between the people and PTI would have disastrous results.

He said that actions based on hatred and revenge against the only federal political party were tantamount to weakening the federation.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023