ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has decided to hold protests against alleged rigging in the recently-held elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and to publish a white paper highlighting irregularities and mismanagement committed during the poll process.

The decision was made at a meeting of the party’s central leadership with all party candidates at Kashmir House here on Thursday.

Talking to Dawn, PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal said that in the first phase the party’s candidates would hold protest rallies in their respective constituencies in AJK after which the party leadership would decide further strategy.

Moreover, Mr Iqbal said the party would also lodge a protest over the alleged rigging in the AJK polls during the National Assembly session on Friday.

Ahsan says results proved PTI govt is not a true representative of people

Mr Iqbal said the outcome of the results of the AJK polls and the by-election in Sialkot had proved the PML-N’s viewpoint that the present government of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was not a true representative of the people and it had been imposed through coercion and rigging.

The two recent elections had once again exposed the hollowness of the democratic setup in the country, he said, adding that Imran Khan was the central character of the present “democratic drama”.

Mr Iqbal said the PML-N’s narrative of vote ko izzat do (respect the vote) was strengthening day by day in the country. He said the PML-N would continue its struggle till establishment of the supremacy of the Constitution, parliament and the people’s rule.

Mr Iqbal refuted reports about division within the party ranks, saying that those talking about rifts in the PML-N were “living in fools’ paradise”. He alleged that such rumours were being generated by the “media gang of propaganda”.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2021