DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday alleged record pre-poll rigging in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Mr Fazl told a presser at his residence here that additional ballot papers had been issued in the name of government employees with the objective of rigging.

“The issuance of more than 1,000 ballot papers in place of 700 besides the display of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s pictures on wheat sacks is pre-poll rigging,” he said.

The JUI-F leader claimed that fake poll survey reports had been issued to pave the way for desired electoral goals in GB.

He accused the security establishment of ‘imposing the PTI government on the nation’ and said it was important to make the establishment realise that it should pay attention to the country’s defence.

Mr Fazl said all parties had a consensus about who was responsible for electoral rigging but some named names and others didn’t for the sake of the institutions concerned.

Insists fake survey reports being issued for desired electoral objectives

He said action against those responsible for the Sindh police chief incident was a positive development but it was ridiculous to declare that the officials acted ‘overzealously’.

The JUI-F leader flayed media restrictions in the country and said the media organisations and journalists were being suppressed.

“Dictatorial measures are being taken in a democratic setup,” he said. Mr Fazl said PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz didn’t say anything wrong by agreeing to the conditional talks with the security establishment.

“Talks could be held with the army after consultation at the PDM platform,” he said.

The JUI-F leader flayed the ‘selected’ government over flawed foreign policy and said Saudi Arabia was angry with Pakistan, while the UAE demanded an immediate debt return and work on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project had stalled.

He said the escalating inflation had made the people’s life miserable, while massive corruption had been reported in government departments.

Mr Fazl said his party considered Kashmiris and people of Gilgit-Baltistan Pakistanis and would continue supporting them.

He said the PDM’s anti-government agitation would continue across the country in line with the schedule and the rulers won’t be allowed to hide behind the Covid-19 pandemic.

The JUI-F leader wondered how the prime minister, who couldn’t change his tone after coming to power, would bring about a real positive change in the life of the people.

“Our [PDM’s] mission is to rid the country of such incompetent rulers. It is now time for the Donald Trump-type people to go away,” he said. Mr Fazl expressed grief over the death of Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth, who died of coronavirus in an Islamabad hospital, and prayed for him.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2020