PML-N leader blames PPP for rigging in AJK by-election as PPP wins the seat
ISLAMABAD: PML-N leader and former MPA Hina Pervez Butt blamed Pakistan Peoples Party for rigging in the Bagh (Azad Jammu and Kashmir) by-election.
PML-N leader said on Twitter that the PPP’s showed its magic of “Thhappa culture” in Kashmir.
In the by-election, the PPP defeated PML-N by a margin of 5,270 votes on Thursday.
PPP’s Sardar Zia Qamar secured 25,755 votes while Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas of the PML-N got 20,485 votes.
PTI candidate Raja Zameer could secure only 4,942 votes. Hence, the real contest was between the coalition partners _ PML-N and PPP.
The by-election in LA-15, Bagh-II, with 101,146 registered voters, 48,038 of them women, had become due after the disqualification of former prime minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas by the AJK high court on April 11.
Importantly, Mr Ilyas had defeated Mr Qamar in the 2021 general elections as a PTI nominee. The former premier, who has lately quit the PTI, did not field anyone as his nominee, which observers said benefitted the PPP candidate, belonging to his Mughal clan.
The election commission had set up 189 polling stations in the constituency, of which 30 and 20 were declared sensitive and the most sensitive, respectively.
As many as 2500 police personnel and 350 paramilitary troops were deployed in the constituency to maintain law and order.
Interestingly, the PTI candidate got less than 5000 votes in the by-election against his rival candidates who belonged to the PPP and PML-N.
The result of the election shows that the PTI has lost its strength in Azad Jammu and Kashmir perhaps because of May 9 riots and attacks on the military installations. The May 9 violence have led to the arrests of PTI leaders while a majority of the leaders of the party have left while condemning riots.
More to follow………
