MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will launch an “organised agitation movement” from next month against the “meddling by the prime minister of Pakistan in the July 25 general elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to steal the mandate of people for desired results.”

This was announced by PML-N regional president and former AJK prime minister Raja Farooq Haider at a media talk here on Monday.

“We cannot accept the results of the elections because the prime minister of Pakistan meddled in the process in naked violation of all moral and legal values. Not only he exploited the authority and resources of his office but also involved all subordinate institutions to obtain the results of his choice because he knew that otherwise his PTI will trail at third position,” said Mr Haider, whose PML-N could secure only six out of 45 general seats - four from AJK and two from Pakistan.

“How is it possible that one party bagging around 600,000 votes gets 26 seats and the other securing around 500,000 votes gets just six seats while the third party polling around 300,000 votes clinches 11 seats,” he said of the PTI, PML-N and PPP, respectively.

Farooq Haider says cannot accept results

Mr Haider alleged that the local administrations in the 12 constituencies of Kashmiri refugees had acted as ‘polling agents’ of the PTI candidates but nonetheless they had to change results in the evening to ensure victory of their favourites.

He claimed that his party had prepared the first episode of a ‘white paper’ on rigging in elections which would be unveiled in a short span of time.

According to him, the elections were manipulated with a single purpose to keep the PML-N out of the decision-making process.

“However, notwithstanding their schemes, the PML-N is very much present in the assembly and will thwart all conspiracies aimed at division of Kashmir or change of the identity and status of the liberated territory before the final settlement of the internationally acknowledged dispute.”

Mocking the authority of Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi led PTI government in AJK, Mr Haider said it had become clearly visible from the day one that the strings of the PTI lawmakers were being and would continue to be pulled from Islamabad.

“We got the decision-making powers and authority for the government in Muzaffarabad after a long and tiring struggle but what has been happening here after the rigged elections is alarming.”

In response to a question, he said he had taken an oath with a view to offer tough opposition to the government on the floor of the assembly.

“We will keep a vigil on what we have achieved for this state and its people. We will not give them a free hand to ruin everything.”

He said in the first phase of the agitation movement, protest demonstrations would be held in the 33 constituencies within the AJK territory followed by similar protests in the 12 constituencies in Pakistan. In the last leg of the movement, the protestwould be held at the Constitution Avenue in Islamabad wherein the central leadership of the party would also participate, he added, but did not elaborate on the nature and duration of the protest.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2021