Muzaffarabad: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has alleged large-scale rigging in the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections, claiming that votes in Mirpur and Kotli were “stolen.” He urged the state to decide whether Pakistan’s national interest or the interests of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) should take priority.
Addressing a PPP workers’ convention in Muzaffarabad, Bilawal said the people of Mirpur had given the PPP a majority through their votes, but alleged that state decisions appeared to favor PML-N. He argued that such actions were harming Kashmir, Pakistan, and its people.
The PPP chairman said his party stood with the state in the national interest, not in the interest of any political party. He questioned the shutdown of internet services during the election process, saying such measures created an impression similar to conditions in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Bilawal also alleged that the story of election rigging was not new and stressed that free, fair, and transparent elections were essential to protecting the Kashmir cause. He said the PPP’s policy of political reconciliation should be accepted to safeguard democratic values.
He further claimed that despite security arrangements, attacks occurred at 30 polling stations, questioning how such incidents could take place. According to Bilawal, the phased election process was designed to facilitate rigging, and he vowed that his party would continue to fight for the rights of its supporters and would not allow anyone to undermine their mandate.
