Mirpur, 22 July 2026: Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, addressing a mammoth election rally in Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, said that Mirpur is like a second home to him. He said the relationship between the PPP and the people of Mirpur spans three generations, adding that he was proud to see a new generation of young Kashmiris ready to dedicate themselves to the cause of Kashmir and Pakistan.
Chairman Bilawal said that, as Pakistan’s youngest ever Foreign Minister and Chairman of the PPP, he had worked alongside the late Barrister Sultan, father of Yasir Sultan, who had himself worked closely with Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. He said that it is now their responsibility to carry forward the mission of their elders. Likewise, he said, Qasim Majeed has worked alongside him, just as his father had worked alongside Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. Chairman Bilawal expressed the hope that both candidates would continue serving the people of Kashmir together, united as brothers.
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the upcoming election is among the most significant in Kashmir’s history, as the future of the region depends upon the decision the people make. Addressing the people of Kashmir, he said his wish is for them to make a choice that secures a brighter future and reduces the hardships they face. He said Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto made historic decisions by giving Pakistan a unanimous, federal and truly Islamic Constitution, while also laying the foundations of the country’s nuclear capability, the only one in the Muslim Ummah. Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, he said, made history by defeating two dictators, and her achievements will forever be remembered. President Asif Ali Zardari, he added, restored the true spirit of the 1973 Constitution through the landmark 18th Amendment, fulfilling the constitutional vision for which Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto had struggled throughout her political life. Through the Benazir Income Support Programme, he translated Quaid-e-Awam’s vision of Roti, Kapra aur Makaan into practical relief for millions of Pakistanis.
Chairman Bilawal said that it is now his generation’s turn to leave its mark on history. He said he wants history to remember that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari secured the right to rule, the right to ownership, and the right to employment for the people of AJK. He noted that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan have already endorsed the same manifesto, and the PPP would honour every promise made to them. Chairman PPP said that the people of Kashmir deserve the same rights enjoyed by the people of Pakistan and India, without compromising their internationally recognised struggle for the right to self-determination. He stressed that the right to rule extends far beyond the issue of the 12 refugee seats. The PPP, he said, is the only political party seeking a fair and just resolution of that matter. Those who believe the 12 seats are in their pocket are the very people denying justice to the people. While the PPP supports meaningful representation for refugees, neither Punjab nor Sindh should decide the future of Kashmir, Chairman PPP said. Only the people of Kashmir have that right.
Chairman Bilawal pledged to ensure justice for both the people of Kashmir and the refugees if the PPP is entrusted with a two-thirds majority. However, he said, the question of the right to rule goes much deeper than the issue of the refugee seats. Since 1947, Kashmir has survived on promises rather than solutions. Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had vowed to struggle for Kashmir for a thousand years if necessary, and the PPP remains committed to that promise. He questioned why Kashmir could not preserve its distinct identity while simultaneously ensuring that its voice is heard in Islamabad. Recalling that Barrister Sultan represented Kashmir at the OIC through the Observer Status secured by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Chairman Bilawal said the PPP now seeks similar observer representation for AJK in Pakistan’s key constitutional institutions, including the CCI, NFC, National Assembly and the Senate.
Turning to the party’s second principle, Chairman Bilawal said the PPP firmly believes that the people are the rightful owners of their natural resources, whether in Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Kashmir. The mountains, rivers and land belong to the people alone. Referring to the policies being pursued by Modi in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, he said the PPP wants to make it absolutely clear that the ownership of Kashmir’s resources rests solely with the Kashmiri people.
On employment, Chairman Bilawal said the PPP is the only party with a proven record spanning three generations. Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto created employment opportunities not only within Pakistan but also across Europe and the Gulf, enabling generations of Pakistanis to build better futures abroad. Even today, he said, the people of Mirpur continue contributing to Pakistan’s economy through remittances made possible by those initiatives. He recalled that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto became synonymous with employment generation, so much so that the slogan, “Benazir Aaye Gi, Rozgaar Laaye Gi,” became part of popular political discourse. Despite criticism for creating jobs, she declared that if providing employment was a crime, she would do it again.
Chairman PPP said Kashmir needs a government that can guarantee its people the right to rule, ownership of their land, and employment opportunities for its youth. He urged party workers to take the PPP’s manifesto to every household across Kashmir so that the people may secure the same rights enjoyed elsewhere in Pakistan.
Chairman Bilawal said that differences of opinion strengthen democratic societies, and every citizen has the right to express their views. However, he said, the current situation in Kashmir is being handled in an inappropriate manner. The PPP believes the crisis can be resolved through dialogue and the proposal it has already presented. Referring to the letter written by the protestors, Chairman Bilawal said he had responded by proposing the establishment of an independent Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate the matter. Until its findings are presented, the protestors should suspend their activities while the State should halt its actions. He said ordinary Kashmiris are being punished for a dispute between the protestors and the governments of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. A protest, he said, remains legitimate only when it remains peaceful, but the PPP also strongly opposes the policy of collective punishment being imposed. Such an approach, he said, reflects the outdated mindset of the era of the FCR. He also questioned why internet services continue to be suspended when protestors themselves are able to upload videos without difficulty.
Chairman PPP said he has directed the PPP President AJK to formally write to the Election Commission, questioning how a free and transparent election can take place when internet services remain suspended and digital election campaigns cannot be conducted. He said the PPP has consistently sought to improve the situation rather than inflame it. Unfortunately, he added, the irresponsible statements made by certain federal ministers have only worsened tensions. Referring to the PML-N rally held in Muzaffarabad a day earlier, Chairman Bilawal said it was deeply disappointing that neither its leadership nor its speakers addressed the controversy or distanced themselves from those remarks. Even today, he said, ministers are adamant on their damaging statements. If such individuals remain in the federal cabinet, despite these statements, it creates the impression that the federal government itself endorses those views. Since neither the former Prime Minister nor the current Chief Minister condemned those remarks during yesterday’s rally, the PPP has every reason to believe they now represent official PML-N policy.
Chairman Bilawal appealed to the people across every constituency of Kashmir to break with old political loyalties and vote for Kashmir by stamping the arrow. He said that before every election in AJK, the PML-N resorts to divisive rhetoric on Kashmir, whereas the PPP has always rejected the politics of hatred and division. They may believe they already have 12 seats in their pocket, he said, but the people will show them that Kashmir decides its own destiny. Chairman Bilawal said that the PML-N leadership is boasting about development in Punjab while disparaging the condition of roads elsewhere, despite having ruled Pakistan repeatedly. The PPP, by contrast, has been in office in Kashmir for only six months and proudly stands by its performance during that period.
Chairman Bilawal said he travelled to Dadyal through Kahuta, and the roads there were certainly not paved with “milk and honey.” He said that the PML-N behaves as though Raiwind alone represents Punjab, while ignoring the realities of Cholistan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Vehari, Bhakkar and Potohar. He recalled that during the GB elections, PML-N’s promise was to turn GB into Lahore. Yet, despite years in power, they failed to transform even Kasur into Lahore, let alone GB. The people of GB rejected those hollow promises and instead chose the PPP’s vision of the right to rule, the right to ownership and the right to employment.
Chairman Bilawal said that at a time when the people of Kashmir are demanding greater rights and the issue of the 12 refugee seats has become increasingly controversial, the PML-N’s answer is to introduce legislation that would strip Kashmir of whatever limited rights it currently possesses. One proposal, he said, seeks to take away the people’s right to elect their own Prime Minister by transferring that authority to the PM of Pakistan. Another would make it possible for someone with no connection whatsoever to Kashmir to become its PM. They now want the three-time PM and two-time CM from Raiwind to become the PM of Kashmir as well, he said.
Chairman PPP said the entire Kashmir awaits the decision the people of Mirpur will make. The people must decide whether they wish to secure greater rights for Kashmir or surrender those rights to the rulers of Raiwind. He urged the electorate to stamp the arrow if they believe in the right to rule, the right to ownership, and in defending the identity of Kashmir against those who seek to question it. Chairman Bilawal expressed confidence that, just as in GB, the PPP would emerge victorious in AJK. He urged the people to elect Yasir Sultan, Qasim Majeed, Sohaib Arshad and Afsar Shahid if they truly seek prosperity, progress and a stronger future for Kashmir.