Unidentified men torch govt vehicles during PPP protest in GB

GILGIT: A protest held by the Pakistan People’s Party in Gilgit Baltistan against alleged rigging during recently concluded polls turned violent on Monday after unidentified men torched government vehicles and tried to storm the Civil Secretariat building in the region, ARY NEWS reported.

A spokesman for the interim Gilgit Baltistan government, Faizullah Firaq said that the PPP staged a protest in the region and during the process, some government vehicles were torched.

“The protestors also tried to storm the Civil Secretariat building in Gilgit,” he said while vowing to take strict legal action against the violent acts.

He, however, said that those who burned the government vehicles were still not known. “We are tracing them and will arrest the culprits involved in the entire violent episode soon,” the spokesman said.

While urging the protestors to choose a legal path for redressal of their issues, Faizullah Firaq said that they have no other option than that.

Meanwhile, on the other hand, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman while condemning shelling and firing at peaceful protestors said that the PPP has the right to hold peaceful protest over rigging in GB polls.

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She blamed the chief election commissioner of the GB for having links with the PTI and said that they would not allow a repeat of the 2018 polls episode in Gilgit Baltistan.

She further said that Prime Minister Imran Khan would be responsible for any law order situation created in the region owing to the federal government’s involvement in rigging during the polls.