GILGIT: Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz alleged on Sunday that the government had planned to rig Gilgit-Baltistan elections.

“If the elections are rigged, we will not accept results,” she warned while addressing a public meeting organised by her party in Chilas, Diamer district.

Ms Nawaz said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s “days are numbered as his fake government is about to go home”.

She appealed to the GB people to vote for the PML-N for their bright future, development of the region and getting rid of inflation.

“People of Gilgit-Baltistan should thwart the plan of poll rigging by casting their votes to the lion (the election symbol of the PML-N). You have to vote and you have to safeguard your vote,” she said.

The PML-N leader alleged that the process of rigging had already started ahead of the Nov 15 polls.

She said that the GB people should protect their vote and prevent it from being stolen.

Ms Nawaz said that the GB people were as strong as the mountains of Himalayas and they had always supported the PML-N in good and bad times.

Listing the facilities provided in GB by the previous government of her party, she said: “The roads that pass through Gilgit had been built during the PML-N era.

Several development projects, including cancer hospital, Gilgit airport, colleges and sports complex, had been executed in GB by the PML-N government,” she said.

“I have heard that the people are not getting compensation for their land which has been acquired by the government for Diamer-Bhasha dam. A PML-N government will ensure that these people get the compensation,” Ms Nawaz said.

She said a former minister in the PML-N government from Diamer had quit the party and asked the people not to vote such turncoats.

Ms Nawaz said Prime Minister Imran Khan had been talking about granting provisional status of province to GB but he was known for not keeping his promises.

“If anyone would make GB a province, it would be Nawaz Sharif,” she added.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2020