Bilawal Bhutto Alleges Election Rigging, Demands Re-polling in Mirpur

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday accused a rival political party of repeatedly benefiting from electoral rigging and vowed that his party would not allow any manipulation in the upcoming elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing a PPP workers’ convention in Muzaffarabad, Bilawal expressed confidence that the party’s election symbol, the arrow, and the people of Kashmir would emerge victorious on August 2.

Bilawal said the PPP had struggled for the people of Kashmir for three generations, while alleging that one political party had never won a single election through the public vote and had instead relied on electoral manipulation to secure power. He claimed that the party’s leaders repeatedly became prime ministers and chief ministers through rigging, adding that the people would not allow any such practices in Kashmir. “This is Muzaffarabad, not Srinagar,” he said, asserting that any attempt to manipulate the vote would be resisted.

The PPP chairman also called on the Election Commission to order re-polling in Mirpur and investigate allegations of electoral irregularities. He alleged that the rival party’s leadership had previously come to power through manipulated elections, referring to the Asghar Khan case and the “Form 47” controversy. Bilawal urged the Election Commission to conduct an impartial inquiry if it was not involved in any wrongdoing and supported the formation of a truth and reconciliation committee, saying it would establish the facts and ensure transparency in the electoral process.