Our Correspondent
Diamer
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari termed on Sunday the “attempts to exclude” opposition parties from the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) election process as rigging.
During a public address in the Thor area of G-B’s district Diamer, the PPP chairman maintained that, “We will not allow the votes of Gilgit-Baltistan’s people to be robbed.”
Bilawal said the government was trying to “force him into exile” from the region “so as to pave the way for election fraud”, adding that the government may try to use the courts to expel him from the province.
The PPP chairman added that he hoped the judiciary will rule in the favour of democracy and not fraud. He further maintained that he wanted to let everyone know that he was not going anywhere from G-B.
“If I have to be expelled from the region, I have to be arrested,” Bilawal maintained, adding that, “I am with the people of Gilgit-Baltistan till November 15.”
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari approached the Supreme Court against the G-B Chief Court’s decision that members of the Pakistani parliament and provincial assemblies cannot campaign in the region.
The apex court has allowed the PPP’s petition for hearing. A two-member bench will hear the case on November 9.
It may be recalled that the G-B Chief Court had ordered the expulsion of members of the Pakistani parliament and provincial assemblies from G-B within three days, saying that senators, MNAs and MPAs could not campaign in the region.
