ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has decided to contest the upcoming elections for the legislative assemblies of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) without making electoral alliance with any political party.

A spokesman for the PTI told Dawn on Sunday that the party had already finalised its candidates for the GB elections and their names would be announced in the next few days.

The five-year term of the previous GB Assembly had ended on June 24, bringing an end to the five-year rule of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The elections on 24 general seats of the GB Legislative Assembly were earlier scheduled to be held on Aug 18, but these were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The new election schedule is yet to be announced.

The spokesman said that besides finalising its strategy for the GB polls, the PTI had also started preparations for the next year’s elections in AJK and, in this connection, federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur on Sunday met PTI’s chief organiser Saifullah Khan Nyazee at the party’s Central Secretariat. AJK Legislative Assembly member and general secretary of PTI’s AJK chapter Majid Khan also attended the meeting.

Party decides to field candidates enjoying strong ties with people

According to an official handout issued by the party’s Central Media Office, during the meeting it was decided to field candidates with strong political credentials, public popularity and strong ties with the people. Both leaders also discussed important issues related to formation of a high-level parliamentary board to determine the candidates and the strategy in detail to win the upcoming elections.

Mr Nyazee claimed that a large number of people and political personalities from all over AJK wanted to join the PTI, but the leadership would only welcome “competent, credible, capable and well-respected political figures” to the party and would field strong candidates in elections after evaluation from a powerful parliamentary board. He said the PTI had become the most popular political force in AJK and the people of the state were rapidly embracing the message of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Mr Nyazee said that after fielding strong candidates and winning elections, the PTI aimed to emerge as the sole majority party in the elections and form a strong government in AJK which would be responsible for the welfare and development of the people of Kashmir and become their voice in the world ultimately.

A source in the PTI told Dawn that the party leadership expected to win the elections in GB and AJK as per the past tradition, saying history shows that the party which heads the federal government wins the elections in these two areas with special status. He said the party expected that like the general elections in Pakistan in 2018, a number of ‘electables’ were expected to join the party before the elections in AJK.

The present AJK Legislative Assembly will complete its five-year term in July next year.

The main opposition PML-N had warned the federal government against making any effort to rig the upcoming elections in GB, saying that any such action would be against the national interest and security of the country.

Speaking at a news conference a few weeks ago, PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal had stated that “the interest of Pakistan lies in free, fair and transparent elections in GB as Pakistan cannot afford to have any political controversy or dispute in GB which has already become a flashpoint in the region and many countries are eyeing it to get benefit”.

“I want to give a message to the national institutions so that free, fair and transparent elections are held in GB. The federal government should refrain from horse-trading and interference (in the polls),” he had stated without naming any institution.

Mr Iqbal alleged that the federal government had already started pre-poll rigging in GB through “biased ministers” in the caretaker cabinet who had been appointed after interviews conducted by Prime Minister Khan. He said the PML-N had set up a special monitoring cell to keep an eye on postings and transfers being made in GB ahead of the elections.

“We will not let anyone rob the mandate of the GB people,” he had declared.

Mr Iqbal said that GB had acquired great significance in the region due to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which was now a “jugular vein” for the country.

The PML-N leader said GB was a “sensitive area” and a flashpoint in the region as the enemies were looking for excuses to spoil the law and order situation there. He expressed the hope that the federal government would realise the importance of the peace in the region and would not make any attempt to rig the elections.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2020