AJK polls spark coalition rift

Maryam tells PPP to accept defeat with grace Bilawal says PPP will protect mandate at all costs Nawaz calls vict

MUZAFFARABAD/ LAHORE:

Coalition partners Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) traded acerbic accusations on Tuesday after the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections as the PML-N urged the PPP to accept defeat and the latter alleged widespread electoral manipulation and vowed to defend the public mandate.

The political confrontation followed the announcement of preliminary election commission results, which showed the PML-N winning nine of the 13 constituencies contested in Mirpur Division during the opening phase of the three-stage elections.

The polling process was marred by scuffles, violence and allegations of rigging, with both parties accusing each other of electoral malpractice.

In a message addressed to PML-N workers and later in a televised statement, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz congratulated her party on an "outstanding victory" and called on the PPP to accept the verdict of the electorate.

She said the PPP had accepted the results when it won elections in Gilgit-Baltistan but was now alleging rigging in AJK despite the fact that no caretaker government existed there and the PPP itself had been in power in AJK for the past year.

Maryam also expressed regret over the language used by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in his criticism of the election.

"The PPP should have accepted its defeat by affirming the spirit of democracy, but I felt aggrieved by the kind of words used by PPP leaders."

She questioned whether Bilawal's allegations of rigging were effectively directed at his own party's government and the federal prime minister, saying the elections had been conducted under a PPP-led government in AJK.

"The state does not decide election results; only the people make this decision," she said in response to Bilawal's allegations.

According to the Punjab chief minister, the people of AJK had voted for the PML-N because they wanted development and prosperity.

She maintained that after 17 years in power in Sindh, the PPP had failed to present even a single landmark development project to voters during the campaign.

Instead, she said, the party had focused on criticism and personal attacks rather than its governance record.

"The PPP should have worked on its performance, built its narrative and presented a programme for the people. Neither did you have the narrative, nor the performance, nor a programme for the people of AJK or any record of your governance."

She argued that the PPP could not promise to make AJK resemble Sindh because of its governance record there, while the PML-N had campaigned on replicating Punjab's development model.

"The continuity the PPP received in Sindh could never be achieved by any other party. Despite this, you had no project to show from Sindh; you could not tell [people about] your performance and could not give a roadmap of the future to the people of AJK."

Maryam said the people had voted for performance rather than complaints.

"If you want to get votes, you cannot cry before the people; the people are much more aware these days."

She thanked God for the election outcome in Mirpur, saying the electorate had placed its trust in the PML-N because of its record of development rather than personalities.

According to Maryam, the people of AJK wanted education, modern transport, farmer welfare initiatives and programmes such as the Rehmat Card.

She advised Bilawal to improve governance in Sindh so that voters would support the PPP based on performance rather than rhetoric.

"When you won the G-B election, there was no rigging there, but as you have lost the AJK election badly, you are now levelling rigging allegations."

She urged Bilawal to accept the electoral mandate just as the PML-N had accepted the Gilgit-Baltistan results without alleging fraud.

The Punjab CM said development work in AJK would now accelerate and appealed to voters in Muzaffarabad and Poonch divisions to support the PML-N in the remaining phases of polling on August 2 and August 10.

She maintained that whoever visited Punjab from Sindh wanted "Punjab-like Sindh and Lahore-like Karachi" and urged the PPP to focus on improving roads, cleanliness, law and order and governance in Sindh.

"During the AJK election campaign, I said that we would make AJK like Punjab; however, after ruling Sindh for 17 years, you could not say that you would turn AJK into Sindh in terms of performance."

'Trust of people'

Similarly, in a post on X, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif said his party's organisation, workers, candidates and coordinators deserved congratulations on their "splendid success" in the Mirpur Division elections.

"This success of the Muslim League-N is a testament to the trust of the people. I extend my heartfelt thanks to the brave people of Mirpur who have endorsed the agenda of development, prosperity, and service."

"This victory is a symbol of the journey towards the development of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir," the former premier added.

'Protecting people's vote'

Responding to the PML-N's claims, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari insisted that the people of Mirpur had given his party a majority and said the PPP's responsibility was now to protect their mandate.

"Now our responsibility is to protect the people's vote. The State of Pakistan must decide whether the interests of the PML-N are more important or those of Pakistan."

Addressing party workers, Bilawal questioned whether the events unfolding from Mirpur to Poonch could be described as democratic.

"I salute you because, according to your vote, you gave the Pakistan Peoples Party a majority."

He vowed that the PPP would neither retreat nor bow before pressure.

"Insha Allah, we will not back down and we will not bow before anyone."

Bilawal also questioned constituency-level election outcomes, saying he found it difficult to believe that Chaudhry Yasin had won the city seat while losing his ancestral constituency.

"They have done the same thing they did in the previous election."

He maintained that the PPP stood with the state and Pakistan's national interests.

"We are with the state. We are those who say Pakistan Zindabad. We stand with the Government of Pakistan in the national interest and with the State of Pakistan in the national interest."

However, he said the PPP would not stand with anyone for the sake of the PML-N's political interests.

"I ask the State of Pakistan to open its eyes and see what is being done to Pakistan in the name of the PML-N's interests. What are you doing to Kashmir in the name of the PML-N's interests? This is Azad Kashmir; we will never allow it to become occupied Kashmir."

Bilawal alleged that attempts to secure power through force had been planned in advance.

"Their plan from the beginning was to form a government through coercion and the back door, to rule through bullets and to build their government over dead bodies."

He further alleged that pressure, fear and despair had deliberately been created in AJK to encourage a boycott and suppress voter turnout, making it easier to manipulate the election.

"Their plan was to pressure Azad Kashmir, spread fear in Azad Kashmir, spread despair in Azad Kashmir and encourage a boycott so that turnout would fall. The lower the turnout, the easier it would be for them to rig the election and impose a government through force."