PPP alleged that 35-year-old party worker Mukhtar Younus was shot dead. (File photo)
However, eyewitnesses claimed that at least 14 people were killed in police firing in Rawalakot last evening. ” The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) alleged that 35-year-old party worker Mukhtar Younus was shot dead during voting in Nikyal in Kotli district. More than 1.4 million voters were eligible to vote in the opening phase, which covered 13 Assembly constituencies across Bhimber, Mirpur and Kotli. Around 300 candidates are in the fray. Polling for the so-called legislative assembly is being conducted in three phases until August 10.
Imtiaz Aslam, core member, Joint Awami Action Committee, said: “Pakistan terrorist forces fired upon our innocent youth today; as a result, 14 of our young men were killed. The Express Tribune reported that Sindh local government minister Saeed Ghani accused the PML-N of orchestrating the violence.
“Our party worker, Mukhtar Yunus, was killed and two others injured during incidents of firing by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidates,” the PPP said. I make an earnest appeal to overseas Kashmiris: you must stage protests outside Pakistani embassies, human rights organisations worldwide, and the UN. The party blamed supporters of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for the firing. PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari questioned the role of the authorities after the incident. “Where are the relevant authorities? What is the Election Commission doing?” he asked. He claimed the party had received information suggesting the firing was carried out by the PML-N candidate or his supporters and alleged that several PPP workers were also injured. Former prime minister Imran Khan ‘s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) stayed away from the elections, while the Joint Awami Action Committee remains banned following last month’s unrest.