Protesters burn Pakistan flag as unrest over 'rigged elections' in PoK continues

The situation in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) remained tense on Friday as locals angry over the issue of rigged election polls, carried out protests in Neelum Valley and consequentially faced police action. Protesters on Friday were seen burning Pakistan flags and blackening election posters, as reported by ANI.

Widespread protests broke out on 27 July after Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (PML) won the recently held elections, in a swooping majority, acquiring 32 of the 41 seats or more than 75 percent of the seats, as reported by Business Standard . The protesters also burnt tyres, blocked traffic and clashed with the police personnel. The report further stated that the locals alleging that the elections were rigged held demonstrations outside PoK Assembly at Muzaffarabad and government buildings. Voters complained that they had not been allowed to exercise their vote. Political parties too questioned the legitimacy of the elections, and alleged that the election process had been compromised with. Locals lamented that the elections in PoK have always been fixed in favour of the ruling party in Pakistan, effectively proved by PML’s win in the current scenario, reports Business Standard. Vikas Swarup, spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs at a press conference held in Delhi on 28 July,  slammed the ‘sham elections’ held in PoK, claiming it to be ‘another farcical exercise by Pakistan to cover up its illegal occupation’, as reported by The Indian Express . The report further says that Vikas Swarup deemed these protests as a mark of people rejecting Pakistan’s exercise. Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State, Home Affairs, said that he wasn’t surprised with all that has been happening in PoK.