Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has strongly rejected the Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) allegations of election rigging in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections, saying it is ironic that the party she described as the "mastermind of electoral manipulation" is now complaining about rigging.
In a statement posted on social media, Maryam Nawaz wrote, "The mastermind of subtle election rigging, the PPP, is now crying foul over rigging. What time is Doomsday?"
Her remarks came after PPP Central Punjab General Secretary Hassan Murtaza accused the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of manipulating the AJK elections during a press conference in Lahore.
Murtaza alleged that the elections were marred by widespread irregularities, claiming that the code of conduct was repeatedly violated and that the Election Commission acted like an election agent rather than an impartial institution. He said the ruling party had set "a new example of election rigging."
Without naming Maryam Nawaz directly, Hassan Murtaza also referred to Nawaz Sharif's remarks in Kashmir, saying that if Nawaz Sharif was asking to be made Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir today, it was only because of the PPP's political role and sacrifices.
He further criticized the Punjab government's governance, alleging that thousands of acres of farmland from Shahdara to Muridke remain submerged due to a broken drainage embankment rather than natural flooding. He also questioned the government's handling of Lahore's infrastructure, saying the city turns into a network of overflowing drains after just a few hours of rain.
Murtaza additionally criticized the government's wheat import policy, claiming that importing one million metric tons of wheat at enormous cost reflects poor economic management and that taxpayers deserve better public services.
Earlier, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had also alleged that the first phase of the AJK elections was affected by rigging and demanded that the matter be addressed through legal and constitutional channels.
