Maryam Nawaz rejected the PPP’s allegations of rigging in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, triggering a fresh political confrontation as both parties exchanged accusations over the electoral process.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has strongly rejected the Pakistan Peoples Party’s allegations of electoral rigging in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections, accusing the opposition of hypocrisy and escalating an already heated political dispute.
In a post shared on social media on Wednesday, Maryam Nawaz dismissed the PPP’s claims, saying the party responsible for what she described as “subtle rigging” was now complaining about electoral manipulation.
“The mastermind of subtle rigging is crying foul over rigging,” she wrote, adding a sarcastic remark questioning when “doomsday” would arrive.
Her comments came in response to PPP Central Punjab General Secretary Hassan Murtaza, who accused the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of manipulating the AJK electoral process during a press conference in Lahore.
Murtaza alleged that election rules were repeatedly violated and claimed the Election Commission failed to perform its constitutional role, instead acting like an election agent. He further accused the PML-N of establishing a new example of electoral rigging and argued that the PPP had been treated unfairly throughout the polls.
Without directly naming Maryam Nawaz, Murtaza also referred to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, saying the PML-N leadership’s political ambitions in AJK reflected the PPP’s past political support. At the same time, he maintained that the PPP continued to respect Nawaz Sharif despite criticizing the party’s recent political strategy.
Expanding his criticism beyond the elections, Murtaza targeted the Punjab government’s governance, alleging that farmland between Shahdara and Muridke had been submerged because of a breached drain embankment rather than a major flood. He also questioned Lahore’s infrastructure, claiming several roads became inundated after only a few hours of rainfall.
The PPP leader additionally criticized the government’s wheat import policy, alleging that the import of one million metric tonnes of wheat, valued at around Rs1 trillion, reflected poor economic decision-making. He argued that tax revenue should be directed toward improving essential public services.
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