PPP, PTI raise concerns over alleged 'electoral violations'

ISLAMABAD: The PPP and PTI have separately voiced concern over what they described as violations of the electoral process in Gilgit-Baltistan ahead of the polls.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, PPP Central Punjab General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza condemned what he called the use of government machinery in the Gilgit-Baltistan elections despite a ban by the election commission. He said the presence of federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Asif and Amir Muqam, along with Punjab Senior Minister Maryam Aurangzeb, in the election campaign during the visit of PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif was alarming and amounted to interference in the electoral process.

Murtaza said the development raised questions about the transparency, fairness and impartiality of the elections. He called on the chief election commissioner and the Gilgit-Baltistan election commission to issue notices to those concerned. He also said the PPP would not allow its seats to be snatched and expressed confidence that June 7 would bring victory for his party in Gilgit-Baltistan.

PTI also issued a strong reaction, with Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram alleging large-scale rigging and serious electoral violations in the region. He said the situation resembled what he described as widespread manipulation during the February 8, 2024 general elections.

Akram said PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and other party leaders were stopped from entering Gilgit-Baltistan and sent back, calling it a continuation of tactics used against the party leadership before and during the 2024 general elections. He alleged that police personnel carrying lists were identifying PTI-affiliated individuals by name and appearance and blocking their entry into the region, which he termed a violation of constitutional and democratic principles.

According to Akram, a systematic campaign was under way in the name of no-objection certificates, or NOCs, and PTI candidates and workers were facing restrictions similar to those imposed before the February 2024 polls. He said PTI candidates and leaders were being deliberately denied NOCs in order to limit their campaign activity.

He further said the refusal to allow public rallies, processions and corner meetings showed that state machinery was operating under a specific agenda. He described the steps as pre-poll rigging, discriminatory treatment and an effort to curb PTI’s political activity.

Akram also alleged that in constituencies where PTI candidates had strong public support, elements within the administration, the election commission and other influential quarters were trying to split the vote and affect the outcome. He claimed that independent candidates were being pressured to back ruling parties, which, he said, raised serious questions about the transparency of the electoral process.

He expressed concern that a plan similar to what he said happened after the February 8, 2024 elections could be repeated in Gilgit-Baltistan, referring to delays in results, disregard for Form-45s and alteration of outcomes. He added that the party had little confidence in the postal ballot system, the pre-poll environment and the conduct of polling day.

Responding to a recent statement by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari that his party would take care of Form 47, Akram said the public already knew which parties had benefited from Form 47 and called the remark an open admission of pre-poll rigging. He further alleged that PTI candidates were being openly threatened and told they would never be allowed to win and would face the same treatment as former prime minister Imran Khan. He said such conduct reflected political authoritarianism rather than democratic politics.