Kotli: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has alleged that a PPP worker was killed during polling in the LA-9 Kotli-II (Nikyal) constituency of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections, claiming the shooting was carried out by supporters of a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate.
In a statement, Bilawal expressed grief over the death of Mukhtar Younis, a PPP worker, and extended condolences to the bereaved family.
Bilawal alleged that PML-N candidate Sardar Umair Naeem was responsible for the firing that resulted in the worker’s death. Referring to the incident, he questioned the role of the authorities and the Election Commission.
“Reports suggest that the firing was carried out by the PML-N candidate. Where are the relevant authorities? What is the Election Commission doing?” Bilawal said.
The PPP chairman further claimed that a video had surfaced two days earlier allegedly showing Sardar Umair Naeem and his associates openly firing weapons. He argued that if the authorities had acted on the earlier incident, the loss of life could have been prevented.
Bilawal also alleged that political opponents of the PPP had resorted to unfair tactics after becoming frustrated by the electoral contest.
Separately, speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, PPP leader Saeed Ghani also alleged that a PPP worker had been killed in firing by PML-N supporters during the elections in Azad Kashmir.
Responding to the broader security situation, Prime Minister’s Adviser and PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah acknowledged that one person had been killed and several others injured in a firing incident during polling. However, he described it as an isolated event, saying that apart from this incident, no major untoward occurrence had taken place and that overall security and polling arrangements across Azad Kashmir had been satisfactory.
The allegations regarding responsibility for the shooting are claims made by political leaders and had not been independently verified at the time of reporting. No official investigation findings had been released, and there was no immediate response from the individuals named in the allegations.
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