PTI chief Imran Khan earlier yesterday said Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N government has started pre-poll rigging in Gilgit Baltistan (GB) by nominating Barjees Tahir as governor, and warned of taking to the street if rigging took place.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman said that Nawaz has appointed his own ‘umpire’ but PTI will win the elections.
“It is illegal, unconstitutional and unethical and we are going to challenge the appointment of governor GB,” Mr Khan told a press conference in Islamabad.
The PTI chief was wearing a woollen Chitrali cap and sitting next to him was prominent Kashmiri leader Barrister Sultan who joined PTI earlier last week.
Imran said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif can try whatever tactics he wants, but the PTI will win the election in Kashmir as well as the next general elections.
However, Ex-Information Minister Sheikh Rasheed too remarked that the PTI should not feel proud by taking Barrister Sultan in its fold because he switched his loyalties many times in the past.
The PTI chairman said that the government had maintained 12 cabinet ministers – all of them PML-N members – in Gilgit-Baltistan’s caretaker setup, instead of three cabinet members.
He added that the chief election commissioner was also a PML-N activist.
Khan told reporters that he was presenting the facts well before the election unlike in the general election.This time his party would pre-emptively resist poll-rigging in Gilgit Baltistan, he claimed.
He cited the example of then east Pakistan (now Bangladesh) with regards to deprivation of rights, and made four demands with regard to Gilgit-Baltistan whose people, according to Khan, have been rendered as second-class citizens.
He asked for the rights of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan so as to not let the people ‘“feel deprived like the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir”.
He also demanded free and fair elections.
An opportunity should be given to genuine representatives to rise up, Khan added.
He also asked for devolution and decentralisation of power and independence.
“They should be able to run their own affairs. The region is heading backwardness and should be given a chance to develop and progress”, he added.
