Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday said his party will form a coalition government with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) (JUI-F) in Pakistan-administered Kashmir if they win the upcoming July 27 elections.
Earlier this week, both parties had announced an electoral alliance for the July 27 polls, agreeing to field joint candidates in several constituencies.
Addressing media alongside JUIF chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman after a meeting between the two, Bhutto-Zardari claimed the alliance between the PPP and JUIF in AJK was the first of its kind. He further said similar cooperation could be explored in Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Sindh and other regions.
Referring to the ongoing demonstrations in Kashmir, the PPP chairman said all stakeholders wanted the issue to be resolved and were working to create an environment conducive to addressing the crisis through peaceful means. He said he supported Fazl’s efforts at mediating an end to the unrest, and urged the federal government to do the same.
During his press talk, Bhutto-Zardari emphasized the need to conduct the AJK polls in a free, fair and peaceful manner. He said that while protest was a democratic right, it should remain non-violent.
Previously, the PPP had sought to secure a delay to the polls, citing the ongoing protests. However, this request was rejected by the Election Commission.
The JUIF, meanwhile, reiterated that the Joint Awami Action Committee had approached him to play a mediation role regarding their ongoing sit-in seeking the abolition of 12 reserved seats for refugees from India-held Kashmir who migrated to Pakistan after 1947.
Fazl said he had conveyed a message regarding potential mediation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, adding he hoped the government would take positive steps. He maintained the issue of the 12 reserved seats should be resolved through dialogue.
Confirming the PPP had offered the JUIF a role in the Balochistan government, he said he would consult the JUIF leadership before making any decision on the matter.