MIRPUR/ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday intensified his party’s campaign for the July 27 general elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), announcing that he would remain in the region until polling day to personally oversee election activities.
Bilawal made the announcement while chairing a high-level meeting in Muzaffarabad attended by former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, AJK President Chaudhry Latif Akbar, AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, PPP AJK President Chaudhry Yasin, senior party officials and election candidates.
Party leaders briefed the PPP chairman on campaign activities across the region, saying the party was actively canvassing in every constituency and claiming its election drive was the most visible from Bhimber to Taobat.
Addressing participants, Bilawal said the PPP had consistently supported the people of Kashmir and would continue advocating for their political and constitutional rights. He disclosed that before arriving in AJK he had discussed public service and supply-related issues with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and urged their early resolution.
Referring to the ongoing protest movement, Bilawal said prolonged demonstrations should give way to dialogue, arguing that democratic engagement rather than confrontation offered the most effective path to securing public rights. He also criticised parties that had chosen to boycott the elections, saying participation in democratic institutions remained the best way to address public concerns.
Bilawal said Azad Jammu and Kashmir remained financially dependent on grants from the Pakistani government despite its autonomous status and called for greater constitutional and administrative clarity regarding the region’s governance and distribution of powers.
He said younger generations in AJK expected meaningful political reforms and warned that failure to address their aspirations could create opportunities for disruptive elements to exploit public dissatisfaction.
As part of broader constitutional reforms, Bilawal proposed granting AJK interim or observer representation in Pakistan’s National Assembly and including the region in forums such as the National Finance Commission (NFC), saying such measures would strengthen Kashmiris’ voice in national decision-making and resource allocation.
He also proposed establishing a constitutional forum after the elections to bring together all stakeholders to discuss Kashmir-related issues and enable residents to play a greater role in decisions affecting the region.
Bilawal said that, with the support of Pakistan’s resources and political consensus, the AJK government had addressed nearly all demands raised by protest groups. He reiterated his opposition to what he described as politics of hatred and confrontation, pledging to promote democratic engagement and political stability.
Concluding his address, Bilawal announced that he would remain in Azad Jammu and Kashmir until the July 27 elections to personally supervise the PPP’s campaign across the territory.
Also, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazal) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman Wednesday appealed to the banned
Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) to refrain from any further protest action and allow more time for efforts aimed at resolving the ongoing sit-in through dialogue.
In a video message, Fazl said a large number of protesters had been staging a sit-in in Rawalakot, the headquarters of Poonch district in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), for more than a month, demanding that the government accept their grievances.
He acknowledged that tensions had escalated following a number of “unpleasant incidents,” adding that the issue was later discussed in Parliament. Fazl said the Public Action Committee subsequently requested him to act as a mediator, a responsibility for which he expressed gratitude.
The JUI-F chief said he had remained in close contact with the party’s Azad Jammu and Kashmir chapter and its leader, Maulana Saeed Yousaf Khan, as well as tribal elder Kamran Azam Khan of Rawalakot, who had been facilitating communication between the protesters and the authorities.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman noted that the protest leadership had repeatedly postponed announcing further action to allow space for negotiations with the government, a move he described as constructive and responsible.
He also disclosed that he had spoken earlier in the day with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is currently in Muzaffarabad. According to Fazl, Bilawal informed him that he was engaged in discussions with the government but that no final breakthrough had yet been achieved.
Quoting Bilawal, he said the PPP chairman was making every effort to ensure that the situation remained peaceful and that the dispute was resolved through negotiations, without any bloodshed or unrest. The JUI-F chief said Bilawal had requested additional time to continue consultations with the government and work towards a mutually acceptable solution.
The JUI-F leader appealed to the Public Action Committee to avoid taking any further steps for the next few days to allow ongoing mediation efforts to make progress.
He expressed hope that a positive outcome would serve the interests of both Pakistan and Kashmir while helping preserve mutual trust between the people of Pakistan and the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He voiced confidence that the protest leadership would respond positively to his appeal and give dialogue an opportunity to succeed.
