Summary PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto alleges phased AJK elections were designed for rigging, rejects PML-N victory claims and warns of growing political uncertainty in Islamabad.
BAGH (Dunya News) - Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has alleged that elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) are being held in phases to facilitate electoral rigging, warning the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) against prematurely claiming victory.
Addressing a public gathering in Bagh, Bilawal criticised the conduct of the AJK elections and questioned whether any stage of the electoral process had been genuinely free, fair and peaceful.
He alleged that the decision to conduct the elections in phases was intended to manipulate the electoral process and said the people were raising serious questions about the transparency of the polls.
“People are questioning the transparency of the electoral process, but the government has no answer,” Bilawal said, according to the remarks reported by Dunya News.
Taking aim at the PML-N, he said the party was mistaken if it believed it would form the government in AJK. Referring to the PML-N’s electoral symbol, he remarked that the “lion” was hungry only for power and authority.
Bilawal claimed that half of the electoral process was still remaining and expressed confidence that the PML-N would soon realise the political reality.
He also rejected claims that the PML-N was certain to form a government in Muzaffarabad, saying such assertions were premature and disconnected from the ground situation.
The PPP chairman further claimed that the government in Islamabad was also facing political uncertainty and that its “countdown” had begun.
Bilawal said he was not making the claim on his own, but that “big people” were saying that the existing political system had already collapsed.
He blamed the PML-N for the current political crisis, saying the PPP was not responsible for the situation. According to Bilawal, his party’s political contest was primarily centred on elections, while the PML-N was facing a separate struggle within its own ranks.
He alleged that a particular faction within the PML-N was working to undermine every effort made by the prime minister, further complicating the functioning of the government.
Bilawal said the political situation would become clearer in the coming days and stressed that the people’s decision must ultimately be respected.
His remarks come amid heightened political activity surrounding the AJK elections, with major political parties seeking to strengthen their position in the territory. The competing claims over electoral transparency and government formation are likely to intensify as the remaining stages of the election process move forward.
