The Punjab chief minister says PPP Is ‘Mastermind’ of electoral manipulation
LAHORE: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-July 29th, 2026) Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has strongly rejected allegations of electoral rigging leveled by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) over the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) local government elections, accusing the party of hypocrisy.
In a statement posted on social media, Maryam Nawaz said the PPP, which she described as the “mastermind of sophisticated electoral manipulation,” was now complaining about rigging. “The party that perfected the art of electoral manipulation is now crying foul over rigging. What an irony,” she remarked.
Her response came after PPP Central Punjab General Secretary Hassan Murtaza alleged widespread irregularities during a press conference in Lahore. He claimed that the elections were marred by large-scale rigging and violations of the election code of conduct, accusing the Election Commission of acting as an “election agent” rather than an impartial constitutional body.
Hassan Murtaza also criticized the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership over former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif‘s recent remarks regarding the AJK premiership. Without naming Maryam Nawaz directly, he said Nawaz Sharif was seeking to become the Prime Minister of AJK despite owing his political standing there to the PPP.
He maintained that the PPP respected Nawaz Sharif and accused the PML-N of diminishing his stature. “If anyone has reduced Nawaz Sharif‘s political importance, it is his own party,” he said.
The PPP leader further criticized the Punjab government over its handling of recent flooding and agricultural losses. He claimed that thousands of acres of farmland between Shahdara and Muridke remained submerged after a canal embankment collapsed, adding that the damage was caused by administrative failures rather than natural flooding.
Murtaza also questioned the Punjab government‘s governance, saying Lahore‘s roads turned into waterways after only a few hours of rainfall despite repeated claims that the city had become a model of urban development.
He further criticized the government‘s economic policies, alleging that poor planning had forced Pakistan to import one million metric tons of wheat at a cost of around Rs10 trillion. He argued that taxes collected from citizens should be used to provide essential public services and infrastructure.
Earlier, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had also alleged rigging in the first phase of the AJK elections, calling for transparency and accountability in the electoral process.
