THE Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has rejected the government's suggestion to delay the upcoming polls in Pakistani Kashmir due to Covid-19, former Pakistan prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said on Monday (1).
Ashraf said the PPP would not let the government "steal the people's mandate", reported The News International. "PPP rejects the decision to delay and rig the elections," he said.
The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), Pakistan’s coronavirus monitoring body, on Sunday (31) suggested postponing the upcoming elections by two months, a media report said.
In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistani Kashmir, the federal government said due to the rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the country, the polls should be delayed. It said, “There is a possibility of the spread of the virus due to large political gatherings.”
The NCOC also said one million residents of Pakistani Kashmir could be vaccinated by September 2021. The Kashmir Assembly's term ends on July 29, but so far, a schedule for the new election has not been issued.
Earlier on Sunday, Pakistani Kashmir's prime minister Raja Farooq Haider also voiced his opposition to delaying elections in the region. "Elections can only be postponed if there is external aggression," Haider said.
Dignitaries and officials gather on stage
Attendees fill the hall for the celebration