ISLAMABAD, July 10 (APP): Minister for Information,
Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid on Sunday said the AJK Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) should play a role to ensure holding of free, fair and transparent elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
It was the responsibility of the AJK CEC to make such
peaceful atmosphere where elections could be held in a peaceful manner without interference of the local administration, he added.
The minister was talking to the media along with Special
Assistant to the Prime Minister Dr Asif Kirmani after visiting the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) to enquire after the health of injured PML N candidate from Haveli (AJK), Chaudhry Muhammad Aziz.
He said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidates were
using government resources openly in their election campaigns with the support of local administration.
With the support of sitting AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry
Abdul Majeed, he said the PPP had started violent politics prior to elections, realizing its confirmed defeat in the upcoming elections.
Ch Abdul Majeed’s statements were on record showing his
threatening attitude to promote abusive and violent politics in the AJK, he added.
The minister said besides this incident in which two Pakistan
Muslim League Nawaz (PML N) workers lost their lives and many including the PML N candidate received injuries, there was life attempt on Mushtaq Minhas, another PML N candidate, in Bagh by the PPP supporters while they also damaged property of PML N supporters in Nakiyal.
He said in the presence of PPP government led by Chaudhry
Abdul Majeed, holding of free, fair and transparent election was doubtful as local official machinery was busy to fully back the PPP candidates.
He said those local administration officials, who were appointed by the AJK PPP government, were supporting the PPP candidates being shareholders of its corruption.
The minister said despite all the threats and use of government machinery, the AJK people would not vote for the PPP candidates and the PML N would win the elections.
He said it was the responsibility of local administration
to avoid such incidents and take action against culprits, but the biased AJK police had failed to arrest those who were behind the incident.
He demanded of the AJK CEC to appoint those in administration who were not part of any political party and stop allowing political supportive and biased administration to do nepotism.
He questioned why CEC AJK didn’t take notice of firing
incident and that why he was reluctant to ensure arrest of culprits.
He questioned as to why the CEC was unable to control
the situation and ensure transparency in upcoming elections.
The CEC would be held responsible “if the tense situation continues and the local government machinery continues its support to the PPP candidates,” he added.
The minister said such unlawful activities could weak the
Kashmir cause at international forum.
He assured full support of the federal government to the AJK
CEC in ensuring peaceful atmosphere and holding free and fair elections.
He said during last two days grave human rights violations had been witnessed in held Srinagar by Indian forces.
He said the United Nations and international human rights organizations should take notice of these incidents in which 20 Kashmiris lost their lives and some 300 were injured.
Later, the minister along with party leadership and workers
offered Fateha for the departed soul of Abdul Sattar Edhi.
