MUZAFFARABAD (Alliance News, July 29): The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) intensified their war of words on Wednesday over the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, with leaders of both parties accusing each other of electoral rigging.
The latest exchange follows the first phase of the AJK elections held on July 17, in which the PML-N secured nine of the 13 seats contested in the Mirpur division, while the PPP won four seats.
The PPP has repeatedly questioned the transparency of the electoral process, urging state institutions to prioritize national interest over political considerations.
Responding to the allegations, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz dismissed the PPP’s claims, saying it was ironic for a party she described as a “master of sophisticated rigging” to accuse others of electoral manipulation.
Addressing a public gathering in Muzaffarabad ahead of the second phase of elections scheduled for August 2, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari launched a strong criticism of the PML-N, alleging that the party had historically benefited from manipulated elections.
Bilawal claimed the PML-N was “a product of electoral rigging from one generation to the next” and vowed that the PPP would resist any attempt to influence the remaining AJK elections.
Without naming PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, Bilawal alleged that the party’s first chief minister in Punjab had assumed office through disputed elections.
Referring to the controversial Form-47, Bilawal said those currently serving as the prime minister and Punjab chief minister were in office “not because of their performance or the people’s votes, but because of Form-47.”
He also urged the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) not to boycott the upcoming elections, arguing that participation in the democratic process was more effective than staying away from the polls.
Bilawal maintained that the PPP had the vision and policies needed to address the challenges facing the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The second phase of the AJK Legislative Assembly elections is scheduled to be held on August 2, with political campaigning intensifying across the region.
