Muzaffarabad [PoJK] July 30 : The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) dismissed the recent elections in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), describing the electoral exercise as "fraudulent", and criticised the violence reported in the region, saying it was sending an adverse message to the international community, according to The Express Tribune.
Since Monday, reports of several deaths and injuries have surfaced on social media from Rawalakot, Mirpur and other parts of the region. Numerous videos shared online depicted scenes of unrest, with claims of violence and casualties, although these reports could not be independently verified. According to The Express Tribune, both the security forces and the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) claimed that lives had been lost on their respective sides.
On Tuesday, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and opposition parties called for an impartial and independent inquiry into the reported deaths and injuries. Speaking at a press conference alongside PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, former Prime Minister Sardar Qayyum Niazi alleged that the people of Kashmir were facing unprecedented oppression and brutality, as reported by The Express Tribune.
Niazi stated that the protesters had made every possible effort to settle, but when they realised that their demands were no longer being addressed, they announced a protest for June 9. "They are peaceful people and remain peaceful even today. Tell me, was any member of our forces killed by gunfire or struck with a baton there? These people are taking bullets, yet they continue to stand peacefully," he said.
Questioning the decision to conduct the elections in three phases, Niazi pointed out that PoK has a population of only 3.5 to 4 million people.
"Pakistan has a population of 250 million and conducts elections in a single phase. Why is there a need for three phases here? What kind of plan is being implemented in Kashmir?" he asked.
Niazi further alleged that protesters were being killed in Kashmir and that their bodies were being made to disappear. "We used to send Kashmiri delegations around the world. We would speak at the United Nations and outside the UK Parliament to highlight the atrocities committed against Kashmiris in occupied Kashmir. Today, we are no longer able to show our faces because of what is happening," he said, as cited by The Express Tribune.
Criticising the government over the violence in the region, Niazi urged the authorities to reconsider their approach, saying that it could not accept the use of force against people raising their voices. "Force should never have been used there," he said.
He also said that PTI had boycotted the elections because it believed they would be "controversial and pre-arranged".
According to Niazi, it had already been decided that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would be handed over to the government and that the existing political system would continue unchanged, The Express Tribune reported.