By Naz Solangi
KARACHI: Senior Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and Member of the National Assembly Dr Nafisa Shah has criticised the recent Gilgit-Baltistan elections, alleging widespread irregularities and claiming the electoral process was marred by violence.
Speaking to the media, Dr Shah described the elections as “more an act of political terrorism than a democratic exercise”. She said a PPP worker was killed during election-related violence, calling the incident deeply tragic. She also alleged that Chaudhry Latif Akbar, President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, had been attacked, claiming the incidents appeared to be part of a coordinated plan.
Dr Shah said the PPP has long remained a major political force in both Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, attributing the party’s support to its record of governance, reforms and public welfare initiatives.
She said the reform process in Gilgit-Baltistan began under a PPP government with the abolition of the Frontier-style administrative system, adding that similar reforms were later introduced in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. She also highlighted reforms implemented between 2008 and 2013 under the government of then-president Asif Ali Zardari and said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had pledged to continue the reform agenda in both regions.
Commenting on the Joint Action Committee’s sit-in, Dr Shah said such movements emerge when mainstream political parties are sidelined. She noted that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had proposed resolving disputed constituencies through reserved seats before the elections as part of a balanced approach.
Dr Shah further alleged that the Pakistan Muslim League (N) had sought to form the government in Gilgit-Baltistan regardless of the outcome, claiming the election reflected not only alleged rigging but also an attack on the democratic process.
She said the PPP had lodged several complaints with the Election Commission on polling day and alleged that no effective action had been taken. The Election Commission and the Pakistan Muslim League (N) had not responded publicly to Dr Shah’s allegations at the time of her remarks.
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