Mirpur (Azad Jammu and Kashmir): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif responded to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s remarks, saying, “Bilawal, don’t mistake Kashmir for Kashmore; this is Mirpur, not Mirpurkhas.”
Addressing an election rally in Mirpur, Nawaz Sharif said Bilawal should not take his remarks personally, adding that political parties should engage in healthy rivalry without resorting to hostility or confrontation.
“Kashmir has a deep bond with us. Mirpur is a beautiful city, but its condition is not what it should have been. After I left office, no significant development took place in Azad Kashmir. I want to ask those who came after me what they have done for the region,” he said.
Calling Azad Kashmir his “first home,” Nawaz Sharif said he had brought a development manifesto for the region. He claimed that the PML-N’s imprint could be seen on major development projects across Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, stressing that education for young people would remain the party’s top priority.
He also pledged the establishment of more cancer and cardiac hospitals in Azad Kashmir, promising improved healthcare facilities for residents.
Highlighting the party’s development agenda, Nawaz Sharif said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had introduced modern electric buses for the region and would also provide 10 mobile hospitals. He further promised that, if elected, the PML-N would build motorways across Azad Kashmir, construct an expressway from Murree to Muzaffarabad, ensure gas supply to every household in Mirpur, and advocate for the construction of an international airport in the city.
