LAHORE (Alliance News, July 31): Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday urged the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to accept the results of the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, rejecting allegations of electoral rigging against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
In a video statement, Maryam Nawaz said the PPP should accept its electoral defeat gracefully instead of making allegations about the polling process.
Her remarks came in response to criticism by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who questioned the transparency of the AJK elections and accused the PML-N of benefiting from electoral manipulation.
The first phase of the AJK Legislative Assembly elections, held on July 17, saw the PML-N win nine of the 13 contested seats in Mirpur Division, while the PPP secured four seats, according to unofficial and provisional results.
Rejecting allegations of rigging, the Punjab chief minister said there was no evidence of electoral manipulation against PML-N candidates and maintained that election results are determined by the will of the people.
She stressed that political parties should respect the public mandate to strengthen democratic institutions and urged the PPP to review its own electoral performance.
Maryam also criticized the PPP’s governance record in Sindh, saying the party should focus on improving public services, including sanitation, law and order, healthcare, and road infrastructure, rather than blaming others for its electoral setbacks.
She further said the PML-N remained committed to fulfilling its promises to the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, adding that voters had supported the party’s development agenda.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal also rejected the PPP’s allegations, describing them as “undemocratic and inappropriate.”
Speaking at a joint press conference with Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, Iqbal said the PML-N’s victory reflected the genuine mandate of the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
He congratulated election authorities and law enforcement agencies for ensuring peaceful and orderly polling across Mirpur Division and said the people had chosen the PML-N after evaluating the performance of different political parties.
Iqbal also noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had congratulated the PPP following its electoral success in Gilgit-Baltistan, emphasizing the importance of respecting democratic outcomes.
The second phase of the AJK Legislative Assembly elections is scheduled to be held on August 2.
