ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) on Monday clarified that it will fully participate in the third phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) election, denying Tanveer Ilyas’ decision to boycott the polls.
In a statement, IPP Secretary General Mian Khalid Mahmood said the party would contest elections on all seats in the third phase of polls on the instructions of Central President Abdul Aleem Khan.
Earlier on Monday, while talking with a local digital media outlet, former AJK prime minister and the party’s regional president Sardar Tanveer Ilyas said that IPP would boycott the remaining phase of polls over the accusation of rigging.
He also demanded the establishment of an impartial commission to investigate the allegations and said that he did not accept the reported election results.
However, Mian Khalid Mahmood clarified that Tanveer Ilyas’ decision to boycott the polls was his personal opinion and not the party’s policy.
He said the party would run a full election campaign and give effective competition to its political opponents in every constituency.
In addition, Mahmood strongly criticised the Punjab government for widespread rigging and government interference in the electoral process.
“An attempt was made to influence the election process through the police and administration. Ballot boxes were filled in the presence of deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners on the instructions of the Punjab government,” IPP Secretary General claimed.
He claimed that the election results did not reflect the actual public opinion but were instead the result of alleged government interference. He congratulated PML-N on “forming a fake government through fake mandates”.
Mian Khalid Mahmood further claimed that polling agents of IPP were thrown out of several polling stations, adding that the Punjab government has set a new example of dishonesty in the election process through the government machinery.
“Election results do not reflect public opinion, but government interference,” he concluded.
