Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, late on Wednesday, vowed to “reclaim” his party’s seats from the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections through legal and constitutional means, as he reiterated a call for a probe into the alleged rigging.
Provisional results issued by the Election Commission show the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) winning nine seats of 13 in the Mirpur Division, while the PPP won the remaining four. The PPP has repeatedly questioned the results, alleging rigging, while the PMLN has pushed back by maintaining the polls were conducted transparently.
In a late-night press conference, Bhutto-Zardari said the PPP had evidence of 30 polling stations where the turnout was nearly 99% against roughly 50% in the rest of them. He said the PPP would not allow anyone to “rob” it of its votes, vowing to reclaim all “lost” seats through legal and constitutional means.
“Kashmir will decide the fate of Kashmir and no one else,” he said, adding the PPP—which has been in power in AJK for the past year—had a solution to the challenges facing AJK.
He expressed the hope that the party’s grievances would be addressed before the second phase of voting, scheduled for Aug. 2, and urged the Election Commission to take immediate action over alleged electoral irregularities. He said that if the inquiry found the Azad Kashmir prime minister responsible for wrongdoing, the PPP would be ready to accept accountability on those terms.
The PPP chairman also reiterated his call to establish a truth and reconciliation commission to investigate allegations surrounding the elections and submit a report. He urged all stakeholders to halt protests until the commission had completed its investigation.
He further reiterated a call for restoration of internet services in Muzaffarabad for local residents.
During his address, the PPP chairman warned against boycotting the second phase of the AJK elections, claiming it would give those accused of rigging greater freedom to manipulate the electoral process. “In an environment of boycott, the decision of the AJK government will be made by Raiwind, not Kashmir,” he claimed, referring to the PMLN’s political stronghold.
However, he made clear, his allegations of rigging against the PMLN would not impact the PPP’s alliance with the party at the center.
He said the public would reject those who sought to win elections through violence and the use of force. “Let the state fear the day when the PPP says we do not accept these elections,” he warned.