Prime Minister's Adviser Rana Sanaullah has rejected allegations of rigging in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, saying political parties should not describe electoral defeat as fraud.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Rana Sanaullah said some people had started alleging rigging from the morning. He said the election result in Azad Jammu and Kashmir was now known and urged political parties to accept the outcome instead of making allegations.
He said three incidents took place during polling. He said acting President Latif Akbar had gone to his polling station to cast his vote, where an argument with a family was later presented as an attempted murder.
Rana Sanaullah said another incident concerned a man identified as Mushtaq Shah, whose death was initially reported as a murder. He said the death was the result of a heart attack and that the shock of the situation contributed to his condition.
He said the prime minister had ensured that the election remained free of violence.
The adviser also criticised Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, saying those around him were providing incorrect information that resulted in misleading statements. He said Pakistan Peoples Party leaders had accused others of turning the election into a "Gullu Butt election", while questioning why members of the National Assembly from Sindh were present in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Rana Sanaullah said his party had also assigned duties to its members of the National Assembly but instructed them not to enter polling stations and to remain only at polling camps.
He said there was some fear and tension in Muzaffarabad during the day, but voters still exercised their democratic right. He added that the election passed without major violence and claimed the only gunfire reported had come from the gunmen of the opposing side.
