PPP decides to continue protests over Gilgit Baltistan Election 2020

PPP Senator Sherry Rehman says PTI "trying to cover up fraud"

Web Desk

November 24, 2020

PTI candidate Fatehullah Khan had emerged victorious last week in a recount on the GBA-2 (Gilgit II) constituency. Photo: APP

GILGIT: The PPP has decided to continue its protest against the results in GBA-2 (Gilgit) recount.

The party is protesting the results of GBA-2 (Gilgit II) in Gilgit after a recount which declared PTI candidate Fatehullah Khan the winner. PPP Gilgit chapter president Amjad Hussain said that peaceful protests will be held at various locations in GB.

Unofficial results shared by a returning officer put Khan ahead of PPP's Jamil Ahmed by 96 votes. The recount was conducted after the PPP leader challenged the election result.

A total of 24 candidates were contesting in this constituency - 14 of them were independents.

'Stop hooliganism'

PPP senator Sherry Rehman condemned the arrests of PPP workers during a protest and asked federal ministers to "stop display of hooliganism" in Gilgit Baltistan.

“The government should arrest those involved in mischief, not our workers,” she said, adding that PPP will not let the region's peace be disturbed to cover up rigging.

She said the region had become a battlefield after the elections and blamed PTI for wrecking chaos "to cover up its fraud".

Questioning the sealing of PPP offices, Rehman claimed people's mandate was stolen. "Our election was stolen." She stressed that the party was well within its constitutional rights to stage protests.

'Polls were rigged'

Both PML-N and PPP have termed the polls 'rigged'.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said his "election has been stolen". He then addressed political workers at a gathering. "Your mandate has been stolen. Our candidates were pressurised."

Bilawal said election rules were violated but the GB Chief Election Commissioner sided with the government and targeted the Opposition parties. "Our candidate lost by two votes. They are trying to steal three seats but we will not let them."

The PPP chairman said the "puppet government" did not even expect they will win. "They don't even have a candidate for chief minister post."

PML-N vice-president Maryam Nawaz claimed PTI won the seats through 'rigging', 'bullying', and with the help of turncoats.

Maryam said PTI failing to cement a clear majority in the northern region is a "shameful defeat" for the incumbent government. "This defeat is a telling sign of what the future has in store."

Maryam said the ruling party was unable to secure a majority despite using state machinery and with the help of turncoats, adding that the people of GB have no confidence in the PTI.

GB polls

Imran Khan-led PTI grabbed nine out of 23 constituencies in the hotly contested polls in Gilgit Baltistan. According to unofficial and unconfirmed results, the ruling party grabbed nine seats while Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led PPP came second with three victories. Meanwhile, PML-N, JUI-F, and MWM have won one each while Independent candidates secured six.

As many as 330 candidates, including four women, were vying for 23 general seats in the third legislative assembly of the northern region.

Citizens, wearing facemasks and observing social distancing, lined up outside polling stations in bitter cold across the region, many voters braving heavy snowfalls.

More than 15,000 security personnel from GB, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan were deployed at polling stations.