PMLN, PPP noising of rigging after foreseeing defeat in AJK elections: Rashid

RAWALPINDI, Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Sunday said Maryam Safdar and Bilawal Zardari started noising of rigging prior to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) election as they knew that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was likely to form its government in the valley with overwhelming majority.

Both the leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) foresaw their defeat in the AJK election scheduled to be held on July 25, the minister told the media at a breakfast function organized by Javed Butt, candidate of LA-43 Valley-4 constituency and PTI leader Ismail Shah in connection with Azad Kashmir election campaign.

He lashed out at the PPP chairman and PML-N vice president for using inappropriate, derogatory and irresponsible language at public rallies in the AJK.

The PTI had already its government in Punjab, KPK, Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan, he said, adding “Now I can say with full confidence that Prime Minister Imran Khan is going to form his government in Kashmir.”

The minister said it was fortunate that the country had now only two things which were purely national including the PTI which was a national party and other one was Pakistan Army.

He said the Pakistan army had given a detailed briefing to the Parliamentarians on the national security, adding the army and all the political parties were on a same page.

Rashid said Prime Minister Imran Khan had raised the voice of people of Kashmir all over the world, expressing confidence that he would play a historic role in resolving the Kashmir issue.

The minister said Pakistan wanted peace in Afghanistan, adding “Whatever the people of Afghanistan decide, we will accept.” The minister categorically said that Pakistan would not allow any country to use its land for disturbing regional peace.

As regard to stranded people at Torkham, he said only those people would be allowed to cross border who were vaccinated. The decision to this effect was taken in the wake of new variants of the coronavirus pandemic, he added. He said those who had not been vaccinated and tested positive, they would be sent for quarantine in the dedicated area. Torkham border is open for vaccinated people, he added.