Bilawal vows to protect AJK rights, accuses PML-N of pursuing ‘anti-Kashmir’ agenda | The Express Tribune

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

Addressing an election rally in Mirpur, some 300 kilometres from the AJK capital, Bilawal said the upcoming election would determine the future of the Kashmiri people and pledged that the PPP would continue to champion their political, constitutional and economic rights at every forum.

“The July 27 election is a decision about the future of the Kashmiri people. Use the power of your vote to protect your rights,” he told party workers.

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

“Such statements reflect the PML-N’s anti-Kashmir mindset. The people will give their answer through the ballot box,” he said.

The PPP chairman said his party believed in democracy, equality and the protection of public rights rather than the “politics of hatred, division and prejudice”. He reiterated that decisions concerning AJK should be made by its elected leadership and vowed to continue advocating the Kashmiri people’s “right to self-governance, right to employment and right to ownership.”

Read: Maryam Nawaz hits out at PPP as PML-N launches AJK election campaign

Bilawal also challenged the PML-N’s claims of development in Punjab, saying the government’s narrative was contradicted by conditions on the ground.

“People witnessed the condition of Punjab’s roads while travelling 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 tenures as Punjab chief minister, the PML-N could no longer justify asking the public for more time.

“The PML-N considers only Raiwind to be Punjab. Look at the condition of neighbouring Kasur and the reality becomes evident,” he remarked.

Bilawal further alleged that the PML-N planned to curtail the constitutional powers of the AJK prime minister through amendments so that key decisions relating to the region would be taken in Islamabad rather than by 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 defining moment, Bilawal said Mirpur Division would deliver 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 people’s support; when it is in power, it tightens its grip on the people,” he said.

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

Claiming that voters in 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 centred on the Kashmiri people’s right to self-governance, employment and ownership.

PPP urges restoration of internet ahead of AJK polls

PPP-AJK President Chaudhry Muhammad Yaseen has urged Azad the region’s Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retired) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal to ensure the immediate restoration of internet services across the region, warning that the 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 voters received timely and accurate information about the electoral process and election campaign.

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

He said safeguarding voters’ right to information was the Election Commission’s responsibility and called for the immediate restoration of internet services to ensure electioneering continued without disruption.

Yaseen urged the Election Commission to take up the matter with the relevant authorities on an urgent basis, saying internet connectivity was essential for holding free, fair and transparent elections in AJK.