ISLAMABAD: Rejecting the results of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has accused the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of carrying out ‘scientific and technical’ rigging and alleged that this has harmed the ongoing freedom movement in India-held Kashmir.

Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry, president of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in AJK, said at a press conference on Saturday that the regional wing of the Pakistan Peoples Party and the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference had already rejected the results as rigged. They had announced that they would devise a strategy after consulting other parties, he said.

Alleging that ill-gotten money was used, Barrister Chaudhry claimed that Rs2 billion had been distributed in AJK and Rs50 million had been given to each PML-N candidate to lure the voters. He alleged that in addition to Rs50m by the PML-N, Indian intelligence agency RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) had spent Rs100m in his constituency.

The former prime minister of AJK said he was being targeted because he had organised a ‘million march’ against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the US, the UK and other countries.

Barrister Chaudhry said that he had challenged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s friend Modi. He accused Mr Sharif of planning to set up a steel mill in India.

He, however, said the PML-N’s victory was nothing new because for the past seven decades the ruling parties at the Centre had brought in governments of their choice in AJK.

Nonetheless, he said, the government to be set up in AJK after ‘heavy rigging’ would not last more than six months and the region would witness fresh elections.

The PTI leader said ‘stealing’ of the AJK polls by Mr Sharif and his coterie had sent a wrong message to the other side of the Line of Control where sham elections were held.

Although these were the first elections contested by the PTI in AJK, the party had bagged a large number of votes, he said.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2016