KARACHI: The war of words between coalition partners Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) intensified on Wednesday, with both parties accusing each other of manipulating the electoral process in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections.
The political dispute has continued since the first phase of the AJK Legislative Assembly elections, held on July 17, in which the PML-N secured nine seats while the PPP won four out of the 13 seats contested in the Mirpur division.
Earlier, the PPP questioned the transparency of the elections, alleging that the PML-N had benefited from electoral manipulation and urging the state to prioritise national interests over partisan politics.
Responding to the allegations on X, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz dismissed the claims, arguing that it was ironic for the PPP to raise concerns about rigging. She described the PPP as the “master” of electoral manipulation and rejected accusations against her party.
Addressing a public rally in Muzaffarabad ahead of the second phase of the AJK elections scheduled for August 2, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari accused the PML-N of repeatedly benefiting from disputed elections throughout its political history.
Bilawal claimed that the current prime minister and Punjab chief minister owed their positions to “Form-47” rather than public support or governance, alleging they were beneficiaries of manipulated election results.
Without directly naming PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, Bilawal also alleged that the party’s first Punjab chief minister had assumed office through a flawed electoral process.
The PPP chairman also appealed to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters not to boycott the upcoming AJK elections, urging them to participate in the democratic process instead. He argued that staying away from the polls only created opportunities for rival parties.
Bilawal concluded by saying that the PPP was best positioned to address the issues facing the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and pledged that his party would resist any attempt to influence the electoral process.
