Bilawal Alleges of Being Forced into Banishment for Election Scam

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), accused the government of forcing him into exile so that it could manipulate the upcoming Gilgit-Baltistan elections.

The PPP chairman addressed a public gathering in the Diamer district on Sunday. 

In his address, Bilawal said that the government was making multiple attempts to get the opposition parties excluded from the election process just so that it could pave its way to rig the elections. 

He stated that the opposition would not let Gilgit-Baltistan’s people and their votes to get robbed.

The Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court had made a decision, ordering Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, government officials, and federal ministers to abandon the region in three days.

A two-member bench consisting of Justice Ali Baig and Justice Malik Haq Nawaz had decided upon the verdict. 

Bilawal Bhutto, however, approached the Supreme Court of Pakistan to reverse the decision. 

The verdict came in as a result of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s violations of the code of conduct of elections. Raja Shehbaz Khan, Chief Election Commissioner of Gilgit-Baltistan, had reported the violations. 

On Wednesday, the Chief Election Commissioner said in a press conference that leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party and ninety-nine others had been served notices over violating the code of conduct. 

Gilgit-Baltistan elections would be crystal clear, with zero chances for any kind of rigging to take place, he added. 

Prime Minister Imran Khan, earlier on Thursday, had almost gotten himself in trouble too after he made the announcement regarding the provisional-provincial status for Gilgit-Baltistan while addressing a rally on Sunday. The court, however, had dismissed the scrutiny considering that the gathering was not a political one. 

As a response, Pakistan People’s Party leader Sherry Rehman had complained and urged the Chief Election Commissioner to take notice against the Prime Minister and federal ministers for violating the code of conduct of elections by organizing political campaigns. 

A federal minister and the prime minister were illegally running their party’s political campaigns in Gilgit-Baltistan, clearly violating the code of conduct of elections and rigging the poll, she had said. 

On the other side, Pakistan People’s Party’s petition has been allowed by the apex court and a hearing will be held on November 9. 

Today, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that till November 15, he was going to be with the people of GB and that he would be removed from Gilgit-Baltistan only after being arrested. 

The Chief Election Commissioner of Gilgit-Baltistan said that in 2015, the total number of registered voters in the region stood at 6,18,624 whereas currently, the number equals 7,45,362. 

He further said that the arrangements were in line with the election act.