Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 27: Widespread protests have broken out in all major towns of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) following massive rigging in just concluded elections to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) Assembly, which has 41 seats. Nearly 75 per cent of the total seats i.e. 32 had been won by ruling Nawaz Sharif’s party, Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N).
Official reports reaching here said that the supporters of two main opposition parties in PoK including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Muslim Conference (MC) have hit the streets of all major towns of PoK including its capital Muzaffarabad, Kotli Chanari and Mirpur demanding fresh elections under the supervision of international observers on the ground that Nawaz Sharif’s party had paid Rs 5 crore to each of its candidate to rig and win the election.
The PML-N had won 32 out of 41 seats while PPP and MC could muster only three seats each. Three other seats were won by the Independent candidates.
Barrister Sultan Mehmood Choudhary, former ‘Prime Minister’ of PoK, has charged the Nawaz Sharif’s Party with indulging in corrupt practices and all kind of manipulations to win the elections.
“Nawaz Sharif paid Rs 5 crore to each candidate of his party to rig the elections in their favour. Money power has paid major role in the elections, which have been rigged blatantly by using money power and the administration,’’ the former ‘Prime Minister’ said.
Human Rights activists, political party leaders and social workers were up in arms against Nawaz Sharif for rigging the elections to form his party’s Government in PoK, which legally and Constitutionally is part of India.
Twenty-four seats have been reserved for PoK in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. The Parliament had passed resolution in 1994 declaring that PoK is an integral part of India.
Workers of ruling PML (N) today killed a supporter of the Muslim Conference (MC) in Muzaffarabad, which further aggravated the protests, reports received here said, adding the protesters burnt tyres, blocked traffic and clashed with police.
Several cases of injuries were reported as the PoK administration moved to clamp down on press reporting and targeted the opposition workers with firing, teargas shelling and lathicharge. However, despite brutal method to curb the protests, there was no let up and the protests were reported from most parts of PoK town.
The protesters closed all commercial centers in the cities and held demonstrations outside the PoK Assembly at Muzaffarabad and Government buildings.
A leader of the defeated Muslim Conference said: “after rigging elections the PML (N) is now indulging in widespread propaganda and killing. They have killed our friend. If the authorities fail to take any action, they will be responsible for any future incident.”
Political parties have questioned the authenticity of the elections. They said public money has been wasted as the so-called democratic process was fraught with corrupt practices and the election results rigged. The Pakistan Human Right Groups have confirmed allegations of corrupt practices, involving money and muscle power.
According to some of the protesters, genuine voters were not allowed to cast their votes and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency and others rigged the polls in favour of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s PML (N).
From Muzaffarabad to Neelum Valley, voters complained that they were not allowed to exercise their franchise.
Locals alleged that elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have always been fixed in favour of the federal ruling party.
They have very little hope from the new Government.
One local resident said, “In 2011, Pakistan’s People’s Party formed the Government in PoK because it was ruling at that time. It is a joke with the people who exercise their right of vote. Only faces will change but if people think that these recently held elections will bring change for betterment then they are living in a fool’s paradise.”
The election process in PoK is nothing but a sham. The ban by the Government on independent observers from other countries to oversee the election process tells the real story, he added.
Follow our WhatsApp channel