Bilawal seeks 'better results' in upcoming AJK elections as PPP hopes to form govt

Why This Matters

Key context: <p>PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday expressed his hope of forming a government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), seeking “better results” from the public in the upcoming elections than in the previous one.</p> <p>He made the remarks while addressing a public rally in AJK’s Kotli ahead of the regional elections set for July 27.</p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media-- media--embed media--uneven media--tweet' data-original-src='https://x.com/MediaCellPPP/status/2078816792689185237'> <div class='media__item media__item--twitter '><span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <a href="https://twitter.com/MediaCellPPP/status/2078816792689185237"></a> </blockquote> </span></div> </figure> <p>The PPP chairperson said that his party had contested the last election in AJK even when the PTI was in power in the Centre.</p> <p>“During the last elections, the PPP had the majority seats and the party had won the elections, but now the conditions are different,” he said.</p> <p>“For the past six months, the PPP has been in government in AJK, and our friend, Shehbaz Sharif, has been in power at the Centre for some years,” he elaborated, referring to the ruling coalition led by PML-N.</p> <p>Contending that there will be “no difficulties like before”, he told the public: “You have to furnish better results in this election than before.”</p> <p>Bilawal also criticised the registration of a murder case against one of his party’s candidates, who he identified as Javed Badhanvi.</p> <p>Expressing his hope of forming a government in AJK, the PPP chairman said that to get the required majority, his party need each and every seat in the AJK Assembly from Kotli.</p> <p>The Bhutto scion made pledges to the people of AJK similar to those he made during the PPP’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2005196">election campaign</a> in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) last month.</p> <p>“I have come to you with a promise to ensure the right to self-government, the right to self-ownership, and the right to employment for the people of AJK,” he said.</p> <p>Bilawal said that there would be no need to protest and shut down the whole of AJK if its representatives had their representation in Islamabad to raise their issues in the National Assembly or Senate on a provisional basis.</p> <p>“The land of Kashmir 100 per cent belongs to the people of Kashmir, and I promise that I will continue defending the right to ownership of the people of Kashmir,” the PPP chairman vowed.</p> <p>He claimed that throughout Pakistan, the PPP was the only political party that ensured employment for the people, promising employment opportunities for the youth of AJK.</p> <p>“If you give an opportunity to the son of Shaheed Bibi (Benazir Bhutto), I will try to create employment opportunities for the youth of AJK.”</p> <p>Referring to the current situation in AJK, he said, “I can feel the pain of the police and army officers, who had left their homes to protect the people of Pakistan and its border and were unable to reach their homes; likewise, I also feel the pain of the families who have lost their youth during the recent protests.”</p> <p>“What holds more weight: the life of a common man or that issue of the 12 refugee seats?” he questioned.</p> <p>Bilawal further said, “I believe that the people of Kashmir, especially the youth, want change; they are not ready to advance on past terms. They say that they have to win the right to self-government on an international level; however, they also want some rights on the national level, too.”</p> <p>He said that he had a dream, like his mother and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who had secured observer status for AJK in the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation, to ensure AJK’s representation in the decision-making bodies in Pakistan.</p> <p>“Would that not be good, until the census, that AJK had the provisional representation in the Council of Common Interests and National Finance Commission?” he said.</p> <p>“However, this is your decision; we can give suggestions,” he added.</p> <p>“The PPP wants only Kashmir to decide for Kashmir.”</p> <p>During the rally, the PPP chairman also reminded the audience of his proposal to form a truth and reconciliation commission to address the recent issues in AJK.</p> <p>“If this proposal is accepted, we can create a space and move forward; however, neither the protesters nor the foreign minister, with whom I have been in contact over these issues, have responded to my letter,” he added.</p> <p>The PPP has <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2011453">announced</a> candidates for 35 of the 45 seats of the AJK Legislative Assembly, while withholding decisions on eight constituencies and allocating two seats to its electoral ally, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) (JUI-F).</p> This development from dawn.com highlights ongoing changes in the sector.