LAHORE – Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has strongly rejected allegations of election rigging levelled by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) over the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections, accusing the party of hypocrisy.
In a statement posted on social media, Maryam Nawaz said the PPP, which she described as the “mastermind of sophisticated election manipulation,” was now complaining about rigging. “The mastermind of subtle election fraud is crying foul over rigging. What time is Doomsday?” she remarked.
Her comments came in response to allegations made earlier by PPP Central Punjab General Secretary Hasan Murtaza during a press conference in Lahore.
Hasan Murtaza claimed that the AJK elections were marred by widespread irregularities, alleging that the election code of conduct was repeatedly violated and accusing the Election Commission of acting like an election agent rather than an impartial institution. He said the polls had set “a new example of rigging.”
Without naming Maryam Nawaz directly, Hasan Murtaza also criticised Nawaz Sharif, saying that if he was now seeking the office of AJK prime minister, it was only because of the PPP’s past political support. He maintained that the PPP continued to respect Nawaz Sharif and accused his own allies of diminishing his political stature.
The PPP leader also criticised the Punjab government’s governance, alleging that thousands of acres of farmland from Shahdara to Muridke remained submerged due to a broken drainage embankment rather than flooding. He further claimed that poor administrative decisions had left the country facing multiple challenges, including infrastructure failures and wheat imports.
Earlier, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had also alleged that the first phase of the AJK elections was affected by electoral rigging. Both the PPP and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) continue to trade accusations over the conduct of the polls.
