PPP to abide by will of the people when deciding upon new administrative units: Bilawal

Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday dismissed talk of new administrative units as mere political rhetoric, stating that his party stood with the people's demands and would support their will, never acting against their wishes.

Addressing an election rally in Bagh during the third phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections, Bilawal stated that “if a state does not trust its people, it cannot expect their trust in return. Good governance is only possible when the people are empowered to decide, and that test will come on August 10.”

The AJK general elections were scheduled to be held in three phases after the Election Commission revised the polling plan, with voting in Mirpur Division held on July 27, followed by Muzaffarabad Division and the 12 constituencies reserved for Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan on August 2, while Poonch Division is due to vote on August 10. The outcome of the final phase will complete the electoral picture and determine which political party is best positioned to form the next government.

Bilawal stated that Kashmir was enduring an unprecedented crisis, and the greatest suffering was borne by the ordinary citizens — those unaffiliated with either the government or the protesters, who simply wished to go about their daily lives, work and attend school.

"It is unprecedented in Pakistan for the internet and streets to be shut down for 50 days amid ongoing protests, with no solution offered by the authorities”.

He added that the PPP had consistently maintained that any crisis could be resolved through dialogue and a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, noting, however, that the current situation was dire with police officers being martyred and Kashmiri blood flowing.

“In response, the AJK assembly recently passed a resolution to establish a truth commission. This resolution dictates that both protests and police action should cease while the commission conducts its work. Those found by the commission to have broken the law would face investigation, while those found innocent would be pardoned,” Bilawal stated.

He noted that ultimately, while the commission can only make “recommendations, true peace in AJK requires the buy-in of all stakeholders, the public, and the assembly. Only then can normal life resume. Alternatively, this crisis could be resolved by holding free and fair elections to establish a parliament that enjoys the trust of the entire Kashmiri nation and can authentically decide its future”, he added.

The PPP chairman stated that regrettably, the current establishment refused both paths and was neither prepared to establish a truth commission, nor was it willing to conduct free and fair elections.

Bilawal criticised the AJK Election Commission for holding the elections in multiple phases, asking “in what constituency did safe and fair elections happen”, adding that “if Kashmir is one, then elections should also have been held in one phase.”

He further stated that this was done so that rigging could take place, as “they knew that they had 10 seats in their pocket already”.

“This tiger is hungry for power; they stole those ten seats, then they stole Mirpur and Muzaffarabad, and now they are looking towards Poonch,” Bilawal said.

READ: Poonch takes centre stage in AJK poll finale

While referring to his political opponents, Bilawal said that they misunderstood that they would form the government in AJK, but he advised them to wait as elections in Poonch and Haveli were still left, adding that “11 seats are still left, and PMLN will find out”.

He added that PML-N’s federal government was under threat and its countdown had started, adding that while the prime minister was a “good man”, the people around him were not “well-intentioned”.

Bilawal stated that PPP did not start this countdown but that it was the result of the party’s own people.

The PPP chairman said that despite sitting in a coalition with PML-N, the party’s mandate was stolen through rigging, the president of AJK was attacked and its candidates attacked and martyred, adding that “they should have done the amount of rigging that we could have tolerated”.

He further said that the “real fight is between Islamabad and Lahore” and that there was a faction within PML-N that is making the prime minister fight with his coalition partners.

Bilawal stated that the PPP had always stood with the people and in this election, he came to the people of AJK with a plan that would resolve their issues. He said that people in AJK needed political rights as well as development.

“My Kashmir brothers and sisters are the most patriotic; they are the bravest. They ask you for sacrifice, they ask you for loyalty, but are not ready to give your rights or listen to you. This is the injustice with the people of Kashmir, and we will not let this injustice continue,” he said.

Bilawal stated that the biggest example of the collapse of the system was AJK itself, adding that “unless the vote of the people of AJK is not respected, problems with the system will not be resolved. It is very easy to say that the system has collapsed, but if you make that claim, you also need to provide a solution.”

He said that he believed the solution lay in justice, law and democracy, adding that the “law is democracy's spine. And in Pakistan, that spine has been broken time and time again. You claim the system has collapsed, but the system wasn't broken by accident — someone broke it on purpose. As long as the people of AJK are denied their rights and distrust persists, neither today's system nor tomorrow's will function.”

“Everyone talks about solutions, but what is the actual disease? The root cause of Pakistan's problems, from day one, is that the powers in Islamabad refuse to accept Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s foundational principle: the people are the source of all authority. Until that is accepted, the system will never change,” Bilawal added.

“Some suggest that creating new provinces is the solution to this broken system. Never mind how poorly the current provinces are run — even if this is a good idea, it can only work if the people are empowered. Until your basic rights are protected, restructuring the map is pointless,” he noted.

The PPP chairman said that Mazhar Abbas recently questioned how a country unwilling to empower its own prime minister could realistically discuss provincial or local government autonomy, adding that “the establishment may try to decide for the people, but that is a misconception. The people hold the real power, and they must use it.”

Bilawal pledged to reclaim the party’s "stolen seats", urging voters to stamp the arrow for all PPP candidates on the 10th. He promised that the rights movement in the mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan would not stop there, vowing to expand it to all provinces and villages to deliver rights to the people of Pakistan and AJK.

Addressing the federal government's stability, he pointed out the hypocrisy of those who once decried and warned of a system collapse, who now were confidently claiming the prime minister would complete his tenure. He argued that even the proponents of this narrative didn't believe it themselves, suggesting the people of Kashmir should also doubt whether the government would survive three years or even a week.

READ MORE: Clock is ticking on PML-N govt: Bilawal

On the issue of new provinces, Bilawal dismissed mere political rhetoric, stating he stands with the people's demands, adding that whether it is “Kashmir's decision or Punjab's, the PPP will support the will of the people and will never act against their wishes”.

He further emphasised the need for consensus, stating he would support initiatives where consensus exists but would never participate in a conspiracy against the people of Punjab against their will.

Shifting to issues of national security, Bilawal highlighted the severe challenges facing Pakistan: tensions with Iran, the threat of conflict with India, terrorism stemming from Afghanistan and the ongoing crisis in Balochistan. He noted that the collapse of regional peace agreements would place a crushing economic burden on the people.

Bilawal further called for national unity over internal fighting, urging the government to build national consensus to address these crises rather than fighting the opposition or its own coalition. Warning the government, he stated that while it might hold the upper hand now, the day was coming soon when it would be seeking his support, and he would remind them of Mirpur and Muzaffarabad.

Bilawal stated that he wanted to be in the opposition, asserting that if the PPP were in opposition, the ruling faction would have faced severe consequences. He noted that the PPP had displayed patience for the national interest and public welfare, but cautioned the authorities not to test this patience and to respect the mandate of the AJK people.

Looking ahead to August 10, the PPP chairman expressed confidence that the public would not only secure a victory for the PPP but also protect the sanctity of their votes against mandate theft. "PPP has all the cards on the table, and we know how to stage protests," he warned, adding that if any injustice was committed against the people of AJK, he would stand with them and protest.

Bilawal clarified that "rigged and bloody elections" were unacceptable to the party. He specifically called for the election of PPP candidates Raja Mubashir to LA-14 and Sardar Zia Qamar to LA-15, and noted that Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore was contesting in LA-17 Haveli.

Pledging continuity of the party's legacy, he said the new generation will continue the struggle Benazir Bhutto began for the Kashmiri people's right to self-determination.

AJK's 53-member legislative assembly includes 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees — people who fled Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in 1947 and 1965 and are now scattered across Pakistan. Six seats represent refugees from the Jammu division (~434,000 people) and six from the Kashmir Valley (~30,000 people) — an already lopsided arrangement that many see as unfair.

More than 1.154 million registered voters will cast their ballots to choose from 208 candidates contesting across the division's 11 constituencies.

Election authorities and political parties are making final preparations as attention shifts to Poonch, where every vote is expected to carry significant political weight.

The final phase will cover constituencies across the districts of Bagh, Haveli, Poonch (Rawalakot) and Sudhnoti.

Four constituencies - LA-14 Bagh-I, LA-15 Bagh-II, LA-16 Bagh-III and LA-17 Bagh/Haveli Kahuta - comprise the Bagh and Haveli region, while the remaining seven constituencies, LA-18 to LA-24, cover Rawalakot, Poonch and Sudhnoti.

The contest is expected to be closely fought, with major political parties facing stiff competition from a large number of independent candidates.