Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, while addressing a workers’ convention in Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, quoted the ancient Roman historian Tacitus, who said, “To robbery, butchery and rapine, they give the lying name of ‘government’; they create a desolation and call it peace.” Chairman Bilawal said that he is reminded of this quote when he looks at the situation in Azad Kashmir today.
Chairman PPP asked the people whether what is happening in Azad Kashmir, from Mirpur to Poonch, could truly be called democracy. He expressed his gratitude to the people of Mirpur for giving the PPP the majority. He congratulated Malik Zafar, Qasim Majeed and Yasir Sultan on their victories, and Chaudhary Yasin for winning two seats. He also congratulated Chaudhary Akhlaq, saying that in accordance with the will of the people and the votes cast, he too had emerged victorious. Chairman Bilawal further congratulated Javed Badhanvi, stating that he had likewise won in line with the mandate of the people. He said that despite the counting being presented, the people of Mirpur have entrusted the PPP with the majority.
Chairman PPP said that it is now the party’s responsibility to ensure that every vote is protected and counted. “We will neither back down nor bow before anyone. We will reclaim every single one of our votes,” he said. Chairman Bilawal said that it was inconceivable for Chaudhary Yasin to lose his native constituency. He said that it was evident that Chaudhary Yasin would secure two seats for the PPP in every election, which is why such tactics had been employed against him. Recalling the previous elections, Chairman Bilawal said that despite being attacked with bullets, the PPP had protected its mandate. He said that it would be naïve to believe that the party would allow the votes of Mirpur and Kotli to be stolen. Thirty union councils in Chaudhary Yasin’s constituency had been taken over, polling agents had been forcibly removed from polling stations, and despite repeated requests for the Returning Officer and the police, neither arrived, Chairman PPP said.
Chairman Bilawal said that the public had been told that elections were being held in phases to ensure they remained peaceful and transparent. If that had truly been the objective, he asked, why were around thirty polling stations attacked despite the extensive security arrangements that had been promised? He said the PPP possesses video evidence of these incidents. The only explanation, he said, was that the phased elections were designed not to ensure fairness but to facilitate rigging. Around thirty polling stations in Chaudhary Yasin’s constituency and ten in Chaudhary Akhlaq’s constituency were attacked. Mukhtar Younus, a PPP worker from Javed Badhanvi’s constituency, was martyred. Chairman Bilawal said these incidents formed part of an unsuccessful attempt to create the impression that the people of Kashmir had turned away from the PPP. However, all such efforts had failed, as the PPP won these seats and every child in Kashmir knows this. Chairman PPP vowed that he would ensure the stolen votes of the people are restored.
Chairman Bilawal said that the state of Pakistan must decide whether its priority is the national interest or the interests of the PML-N. He said it appeared that every decision taken by the state had prioritised the interests of the PML-N over those of the nation. This harms not only the state but, more importantly, the people of Pakistan, he said. Chairman Bilawal said that the PPP proudly raises the slogan of “Pakistan Zindabad”, remains a pro-federation political party, and continues to stand alongside the government and the state whenever the national interest is at stake. “We are not prepared to help anyone protect the political interests of the PML-N,” he stated.
Chairman PPP urged the state of Pakistan to open its eyes. He said the PPP would never allow Azad Kashmir to resemble Occupied Kashmir. If Poonch were made to resemble Occupied Kashmir, with attacks on polling stations, gunfire, workers being martyred and internet services suspended, then, he said that Kashmir could hardly be described as “Azad”. He said that had the interests of the people truly been the priority, transparent and uncontroversial elections would have been conducted. Chairman Bilawal said that the people of Kashmir are fully aware of these developments. He said the story of rigging had not begun today, but that the PPP had remained silent only for the sake of the national interest. Sacrificing the national interest for the political interests of the PML-N was nothing new, he said. Chairman Bilawal said the PPP wants the matter to remain confined to AJK. Even the presidential election had not been conducted in accordance with the Constitution and the law because, had it been, the PPP would once again have emerged victorious, Chairman PPP said.
Chairman Bilawal said that the issue involving the protesters could have been resolved without violence or the loss of lives. Only the political interests of the PML-N had been prioritised. Asking whether a single seat was more valuable than a human life, he said the PPP had never demanded the abolition of the refugee seats, despite their repeated use against the party, including in the previous election. Nor had the PPP insisted that every demand of the protesters be accepted. Instead, he said, the party had consistently called for a middle ground. Chairman Bilawal said that the protesters had committed historic mistakes and should not have rejected the invitation extended by the Prime Minister of AJK to participate in the APC. However, he noted that for more than a month he had campaigned on a proposal to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that could restore peace and stability to the lives of ordinary Kashmiris. Such a commission, he said, would not require the state to surrender or concede to any demands, it would simply distinguish truth from fiction. Chairman Bilawal questioned how many lives could have been saved had such a commission been established earlier. If neither the state of Pakistan nor the protesters are willing to step back, he asked, then what will become of the innocent people of Kashmir?
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that it is imperative for the most significant elections in Kashmir’s history to be conducted in a peaceful and transparent environment. He said the proposal put forward by the PPP was not about winning or losing, but about saving lives, and should therefore be accepted by both the state and the protesters. Chairman Bilawal said the PPP cannot bear to see its brothers martyred in such a manner. Chairman Bilawal said that the PPP has carried the coffins of their loved ones and therefore, understands the grief of the families of martyred police and military personnel, as well as those of the protesters who have lost their lives. Many of those killed, he said, were young people who had responded to political calls and, in some cases, had taken to the streets after remaining confined to their homes due to the internet shutdown. Chairman Bilawal said the PPP understands the suffering of their families and believes justice cannot be delivered through violence on the streets.
Chairman PPP instructed party workers to continue working day and night to secure victory for the PPP. He said that if another party were entrusted with government, the future would remain uncertain. He urged workers to convince the people to vote despite the prevailing atmosphere of disappointment created by coercion and force. Chairman Bilawal said that this was precisely the strategy of the opponents, who hoped that lower voter turnout would make rigging easier. The PTI leadership conspired against its own party by participating in the boycott. He urged the people to vote, assuring them that PPP representatives would regard every individual as a citizen rather than as a supporter of any political party. Chairman Bilawal said that the PPP had once made the mistake of boycotting elections in 1985, which ultimately enabled a particular individual to become Prime Minister three times. He said that if those boycotting the elections truly want the right to governance, the right to ownership and the right to employment, they should exercise their right to vote rather than take to the streets. “To secure your rights, stamp the arrow on 2 August,” he said.
Chairman PPP announced that the party would hold a rally on 30 July to send a clear message: “Kashmir Pe Daaka, Na-Manzoor.” He said the PPP’s struggle would continue until every stolen vote was recovered. Chairman Bilawal said the PPP is a peaceful political party whose only demand is that elections be conducted in a transparent manner. However, he stressed that the party would never accept the martyrdom of its workers or the looting of polling stations. He reiterated that the PPP wished to remain peaceful. Referring to his political lineage, Chairman Bilawal said he is the son of President Asif Ali Zardari and the nephew of Mir Shahnawaz Bhutto and Mir Murtaza Bhutto. He said the PPP wishes to pursue politics in the tradition of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, but should not be compelled to lose faith in the democratic process. Chairman Bilawal concluded by saying that the party would gather again on 30 July and celebrate its victory on 2 August.