MUZAFFARABAD: Former Prime Minister and senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has issued a strong warning that the PML‑N’s conduct in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections is pushing the situation toward “further catastrophe.”
Speaking to the media, Ashraf condemned alleged rigging and irregularities during polling in Muzaffarabad division and Muhajireen seats, declaring that the PPP should reject the Kashmir elections and boycott the third phase.
He accused the Election Commission of being under the influence of the ruling party, holding the Chief Election Commissioner responsible for the crisis.
“An assembly formed in such circumstances cannot solve the problems,” he said, adding that if elections are not transparent, “no one will accept them.”
Ashraf stressed that while his remarks reflect his personal opinion, the final decision rests with the party’s central leadership.
Meanwhile, other PPP leaders echoed his concerns.
Secretary General Nayyar Bukhari said the elections were “non‑transparent and rigged” and vowed that the PPP would not accept the results.
Nadeem Afzal Chan described the process as an “ultra‑Form 47 election,” questioning the credibility of the Election Commission.
Similarly, Qamar Zaman Kaira warned that the government formed through such elections would lack legitimacy, declaring: “This election of Azad Kashmir has been snatched from us.”
Political analysts note that these statements come amid mounting unrest and violence in Mirpur and Rawlakot, where clashes, riots, and casualties among political workers have been reported but largely ignored by mainstream media.
Observers believe that the real contest between PML‑N and PPP — allies in Pakistan’s federal government but rivals in AJK — has now escalated into a full‑blown confrontation over the credibility of the electoral process.
