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

Pakistan People’s Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday said his criticism of alleged irregularities in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections could not endanger the party’s coalition with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz at the Centre, but warned that allegations of fraud and what he described as theft of public office 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 remained intact.

“My statements cannot endanger 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 allegations of vote theft and what he called an attack on the people’s mandate were “unacceptable”, arguing that he could not remain silent when party members were allegedly targeted.

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

Bilawal said the political crisis in AJK could be resolved through democratic means and called for respect for the mandate of the people. He claimed that the vote had been disrupted in around thirty polling stations and that the PPP had obtained four seats instead of the eight hoped for.

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

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

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

Bilawal’s remarks come amid heightened political tensions following the first phase of the 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.

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