DID Press: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has called for an independent fact-finding commission after his party suffered a setback in local elections in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, accusing the federal government of suppressing protesters and manipulating the vote.
According to preliminary results released by the Election Commission, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won nine seats in the Mirpur constituency, while the PPP secured four. Voting in the remaining constituencies is scheduled to continue in the coming days.
Following the results and recent clashes between police and members of the Joint Awami Action Committee, Bhutto alleged that authorities had cracked down on protesters and interfered in the electoral process.
He said the heightened security presence was intended to influence voting and called for the immediate establishment of an independent commission to investigate the allegations.Pakistan Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah rejected the accusations, describing the elections as free and fair. He said the clashes stemmed from local disputes rather than electoral interference.
The allegations of violence and vote manipulation have intensified political tensions ahead of the remaining phases of the election in Muzaffarabad and Poonch, adding uncertainty to the electoral process in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.