ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari announced that he will launch a protest against Gilgit Baltistan elections.
“My election has been stolen,” he wrote on Twitter. “I will be joining the people of Gilgit Baltistan in their protest shortly.”
Later while addressing a public gathering, the PPP chairman said they will not hand over Gilgit Baltistan to a “selected and puppet government” and continue their protests. “We will continue our election campaign and protests,” said Bilawal. “As long you will protest against the rigging, I will also protest along with you.”
Bilawal said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) did not even have a candidate for the GB chief minister and were not even sure they could win the elections. “The people of Gilgit Baltistan will not let the selected and puppets to snatch their rights,” he said.
He said the PPP will protest to win back the seats snatched from the people of GB, or else they will be compelled to march to Islamabad.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is emerging as the single largest party in the hotly contested election and has secured nine seats. Independent candidates were the next largest block with six seats. The PPP has secured three victories while PML-N, JUI-F, and MWM have won one each.
Both PML-N and PPP made rigging allegations ahead of the poll. PPP senator Sherry Rehman said some election observers were not being allowed to monitor the elections. She said there were more than 600 members of the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) monitoring the elections but some were removed from the polling stations.
GB Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan had expressed satisfaction over the election arrangements, process and security related matters. Speaking to the media during his visit to the different polling stations on Sunday, he had said the process of polling continued smoothly throughout the day and no complaints or reservations were received from any candidate or voters across the region.
