Shazia Marri raises election transparency concerns

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Shazia Marri has expressed concerns over the electoral process in Gilgit-Baltistan and demanded free, fair, and

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Shazia Marri has expressed concerns over the electoral process in Gilgit-Baltistan and demanded free, fair, and transparent elections.

Shazia Marri said the PPP conducted a strong election campaign across Gilgit-Baltistan. She said party workers remained active in all constituencies and connected with voters during the campaign period.

She raised concerns about polling arrangements on election day. She said in Astore-II, polling stations were set up in mountainous areas. This created difficulties for voters, especially those living in remote locations.

Marri said voting should be made easy and accessible for all citizens. She added that any arrangement that creates hardship for voters should be reviewed and corrected.

She stressed the importance of transparency in the electoral process. She said Form-45 is key to ensuring the credibility of results and described it as the basis of Form-47. She said election results must be handled with full transparency.

The PPP leader said her party’s earlier concerns were often ignored and labeled as propaganda. However, she said the issues observed during polling proved that these concerns were valid and should not be dismissed.

She also said polling was slow in several areas. She added that voter lists created problems at multiple polling stations. According to her, such issues affect the smooth conduct of elections.

Marri said it is the responsibility of the Election Commission to ensure free and fair elections. She said every political party should be given equal opportunity and voters should not face obstacles in exercising their right to vote.

Talking about public support, Marri said the PPP received a positive response during its campaign in Gilgit-Baltistan. She said party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari remains popular in the region.

She also alleged that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) involved federal ministers in its election campaign in Gilgit-Baltistan.

On the political situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Marri said dialogue is the only solution to political issues. She emphasized that discussions between stakeholders are necessary to resolve disputes.

She further said the federal government should focus on improving its own performance instead of shifting responsibilities to provinces. She said governance challenges must be addressed at the federal level.