Bilawal vows to protect AJK’s rights, accuses PML-N of pursuing ‘anti-Kashmir’ agenda

Intensifying the political battle ahead of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) president Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday accused the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of pursuing an “anti-Kashmir” agenda, alleging that it wanted to strip the AJK chief minister of key powers and urging voters to give his party a big mandate in the first phase of the elections that will be held on July 27.

Addressing an election rally in Mirpur, about 300 kilometers from the AJK capital, Bilawal said the upcoming elections would determine the future of the people of Kashmir and promised that the PPP would continue to defend their political, constitutional and economic rights at every forum.

“The July 27 elections are a decision on the future of the people of Kashmir. Use the power of your vote to protect your rights,” he told the party workers.

Launching a blistering attack on the PML-N, Bilawal alleged that some federal ministers had offended residents of AJK by claiming that the people of Mirpur and Rawalakot were “not Kashmiris”.

“These statements reflect the anti-Kashmir mentality of the PML-N. The people will give their response through the polls,” he said.

The PPP president said his party believed in democracy, equality and the protection of public rights rather than “politics of hate, division and prejudice.” He reiterated that decisions regarding AJK should be taken by its elected leaders and vowed to continue defending the “right to self-governance, right to employment and right to property” of the people of Kashmir.

Read: Maryam Nawaz attacks PPP as PML-N launches AJK election campaign

Bilawal also questioned the PML-N’s claims about development in Punjab, saying the government’s narrative contradicted the conditions on the ground.

“People witnessed the state of Punjab’s roads while traveling to Dadyal. The PML-N must also explain the deprivation in Rajanpur, Layyah, Kasur, Mianwali and other districts,” he said.

He argued that after four terms in the prime minister’s office and several terms as chief minister of Punjab, the PML-N could no longer justify asking the public for more time.

“The PML-N considers only Raiwind to be Punjab. If you look at the situation in neighboring Kasur, the reality becomes evident,” he said.

Bilawal further alleged that the PML-N was planning to restrict the constitutional powers of the AJK chief minister through amendments so that key decisions related to the region would be taken in Islamabad instead of AJK’s elected representatives.

“The PPP rejects this approach and firmly believes that the people of AJK have the right to decide their own future,” he said.

Calling the July 27 vote a watershed moment, Bilawal said the Mirpur Division would issue a “historic verdict” and urged voters to reject those who questioned the identity of the people of Mirpur and Rawalakot.

“When the PML-N is out of power, it seeks the support of the people; when it is in power, it strengthens its control over the people,” he said.

Bilawal appealed to voters to elect PPP candidates in the four constituencies of Mirpur, naming Chaudhry Yasir Sultan, Chaudhry Qasim Majeed, Sohaib Arshad and Afsar Shahid. He said a convincing victory by Chaudhry Yasir Sultan would affirm the lasting political legacy of lawyer Sultan Mahmood.

Claiming that the voters of Gilgit-Baltistan had already rejected the PML-N, Bilawal predicted that the people of AJK would do the same.

He said that if the PPP secured a two-thirds majority, it would implement its agenda focusing on the right of the people of Kashmir to self-governance, employment and property.

PPP urges to restore Internet before AJK elections

PPP-AJK Chairman Chaudhry Muhammad Yaseen has urged the region’s Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal to ensure immediate restoration of internet services across the region, warning that disruption could undermine the transparency of the electoral process.

In a letter to the chief election commissioner, Yaseen said the suspension of internet services was creating serious difficulties for political parties, candidates and voters during the ongoing election campaign.

He said uninterrupted Internet access was essential to ensure that voters received timely and accurate information about the electoral process and the election campaign.

The PPP-AJK chairman warned that prolonged internet outages could compromise the fairness and transparency of the elections while fueling the spread of fake news, disinformation and rumours.

He said safeguarding voters’ right to information was the responsibility of the Election Commission and called for immediate restoration of internet services to ensure that the election campaign continued uninterrupted.

Yaseen urged the Election Commission to take up the matter with relevant authorities urgently, saying that internet connectivity was essential to hold free, fair and transparent elections in AJK.