Bilawal proclaims ruling coalition intact, while highlighting AJK’s electoral irregularities

Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Wednesday that his criticism of alleged irregularities in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections could not jeopardize the party’s coalition with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz at the Centre, but warned that alleged fraud and what he described as theft of the public mandate could have implications for the ruling alliance.

Speaking to the media after meeting AJK Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar and PPP workers at his residence here, Bilawal said the PPP-PML-N coalition at the federal level remains intact.

“My statements cannot jeopardize our coalition with the federal government,” Bilawal said, while warning that AJK’s alleged manipulation of the electoral process and denial of public mandate could create difficulties for the alliance.

The PPP chairman said the alleged vote theft and what he called an assault on the people’s mandate were “unacceptable”, arguing that he could not remain silent when party workers were allegedly attacked.

“If my worker is killed, how can I remain silent?” he asked, saying he had the right to raise his voice for the rights of the PPP workers and the people.

Bilawal said the political crisis in AJK could be resolved through democratic means and called for the people’s mandate to be respected. He stated that voting had been interfered with in around thirty polling stations and stated that the PPP obtained four seats instead of the eight it expected.

He further alleged that rigging had taken place in Kotli and claimed that votes were “stolen at gunpoint”. Bilawal demanded that AJK voters be allowed to freely exercise their democratic right and said any attempt to undermine the electoral process was unacceptable.

READ: PML-N secures strong lead in AJK polls, wins 9 of 13 seats in Mirpur as unofficial results come in

Calling on the people of AJK to participate fully in the remaining phases of the elections, he urged voters to elect their representatives through voting. He reiterated that the PPP believed in democracy, the sanctity of the vote and respect for the public mandate.

Bilawal’s comments came amid heightened political tensions following the first phase of AJK Legislative Assembly elections in Mirpur Division, where the PML-N emerged as the leading party while the PPP alleged irregularities in the electoral process.

Also present were PPP AJK Chairman Chaudhry Yasin, AJK Chief Minister Faisal Rathore, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Nadeem Afzal Chan and Nabila Ayub.