Bilawal | Pakistan

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari claimed on Friday that certain elements within the ruling PML-N were undermining Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and sowing discord between him and his political allies. The PPP and the PML-N have been engaged in a war of words since the latter emerged in the lead in Mirpur polls on July 27. The PML-N has also won the majority of the seats in the second phase, with the PPP accusing it of rigging and other violent tactics in both phases. The PPP chief was addressing an election rally in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, where the third phase of elections in the region is slated to be held. “High-profile people are saying that the government has collapsed. I’m not saying that, nor am I casting doubt on the prime minister’s intentions. He’s a good man with good intentions. But what can he do when the people around him have bad intentions?” Bilawal asked. In reference to remarks he made earlier this week, the party chief highlighted that the PPP did not start the “countdo...

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday reiterated his warning to the PML-N that a “countdown” for it has begun, as he declared that his party’s “movement” for people’s rights will extend to the entire country. Bilawal made the remarks in a series of video messages he shared on X, wherein he reiterated his allegations of rigging against the PML-N — his party’s ally in the Centre — during the ongoing Azad Kashmir elections. The PPP and the PML-N have been engaged in a war of words since the latter emerged in the lead in Mirpur polls on July 27. The PML-N has also won the majority of the seats in the second phase, with the PPP accusing it of rigging and other violent tactics in both phases. In one of the three clips posted on X on Monday, Bilawal affirmed that his party’s struggle for the people’s right to governance, ownership and employment will continue. “This movement will not remain restricted to the mountains of Kashmir or Gilgit-Baltistan. God-willing, I will run this movement across the entire Pak...

As part of the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections, polling is underway in eight out of the nine constituencies of Muzaffarabad division and all 12 refugee constituencies. Polling started at 8am and was to continue till 5pm. However, an AJK Election Commission spokesperson said it has been extended by an hour till 6pm. The electoral process in LA-27 (Muzaffarabad-I) was postponed due to heavy rain, AJK Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal said, DawnNewsTV reported. Over 300 candidates are vying for the Muzaffarabad seats and the 12 seats for refugees settled in different regions. What has happened so far: Polling suspended in LA-27 due to rain; 4 other seats up for grabs in Muzaffarabad district, 2 each in Neelum and Jhelum Valley Voting underway across country for 12 refugee seats — 7 in Punjab, other 5 divided between different provinces Bilawal condemns ‘attack’ on party’s regional president, says PPP worker died in LA-31 PPP alleges electoral malpractices at some ...

Bilawal says JAAC response received

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday said he had received a response from the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) to his letter proposing the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, adding that the party would now consult key stakeholders to determine the way forward. The PPP has repeatedly called for the establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission amid protests in AJK. Over the past month, the regional administration and the JAAC have been at odds over various issues — most notably the committee’s demand to abolish the 12 seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir who settled in mainland Pakistan after 1947, which has resulted in protests across the region. In a post on X, Bilawal welcomed the group’s “willingness to engage with the proposed commission” as a possible institutional mechanism to address the crisis, noting that the proposal had also been endorsed by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislativ...

Bilawal says he will study JAAC’s proposal and consult AJK government and stakeholders to build consensus

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari warned on Thursday that a stolen election in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) would start a “countdown” for the federal government. Polls in AJK are being held in three phases over security concerns, with the first set of polls held in Mirpur division on Monday. Scuffles, violence and allegations of rigging had marred the polling process, with the PML-N and PPP accusing each other of electoral malpractice. “The PML-N thinks that after its defeat in Gilgit-Baltistan, a defeat in AJK would mean a countdown begins for its government,” Bilawal said while addressing a rally in Muzaffarabad ahead of the August 2 elections. “But this is a misconception.” “If you steal [the election] … write it down, take my guarantee, that a countdown will start for your federal government,” he warned. “If you steal my mandate, I will come for your throne.” The PPP scion added that his party had elders who had challenged former leaders, including General Ziaul Haq and Pervez Musharraf, and were expert...

PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari continued his tirade against the PML-N — an ally of his party in the Centre — on Wednesday, reiterating his allegations in the first phase of Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections and demanding re-polling. Addressing a PPP workers’ convention in Muzaffarabad, he called on the Election Commission to hold re-polling in Mirpur if “you are not involved in this rigging”. Directly taking a jibe at Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, he said: “If someone is sitting on the PM’s seat, or someone is sitting on the CM’s position today, even a child knows that it is not because of the people’s votes or your performance but because of Form-47.” Form-47 is the provisional consolidated statement of results of vote count of all polling stations in a constituency, prepared by the returning officer (RO) concerned. It has been used mainly by the opposition PTI since the 2024 general elections in the country to refer to alleged rigging in the polls. Bilawal’s al...

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday demanded that the government and the “protesters” agree to the formation of a truth and reconciliation commission to resolve ongoing tensions in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). The PPP has repeatedly called for the establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission amid protests in AJK. Over the past month, the regional administration and the JAAC have been at odds over various issues, most notably the committee’s demand to abolish the 12 seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly, which has resulted in protests across the region. Addressing an event in Muzaffarabad, the PPP chairman said, “It is necessary that during these historic elections, we restore peace and maintain fairness and transparency. To honour the future of Kashmir and Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir, this is not about anyone’s victory or defeat. The state and the protestors will have to accept this recommendation from the PPP.” Bilawal said he had been campaigning for the formation of the commissi...

MIRPUR: Responding to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s recent jibe, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday said that whether it’s Kashmir or Kashmore, Mirpur or Mirpurkhas, their residents were “not ready to bargain away their rights”. Bilawal’s response comes a day before the first phase of elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is set to begin, with Mirpur voting on Monday. It also comes amid allegations of pre-poll rigging by the PPP after the PML-N gave 10 e-buses to Muzaffarabad and Mirpur as a “gift”. Addressing a public rally in AJK’s Mirpur on Friday as part of his party’s election campaign, Nawaz had named Bilawal and said Kashmir should not be mistaken for Kashmore, nor Mirpur for Mirpurkhas — districts of Sindh where the PPP has been in power for years. Subsequently, Bilawal shared a video statement on social media, beginning his message with, “Mian sahib, please don’t take offence”, as he tagged Nawaz’s X account in his post. “Whether it’s Kashmir or Kashmore, Mirpur or Mirpurkhas, not only ...

At Mirpur rally, Bilawal claims PML-N wants key AJK decisions taken in Islamabad, not Muzaffarabad

ISLAMABAD: With less than a week to go in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, the PML-N and the PPP have stepped up their election campaigns, with their top leadership taking charge of the election campaign to galvanise their support base. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is already in AJK for canvassing — just like he did in Gilgit-Baltistan, where his party ended up forming the government. Hoping to prevent a repeat of the GB polls, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, who has hitherto kept a low profile, has decided to step in and lead the election campaign in Kashmir. He is expected to address multiple rallies in Azad Kashmir. Observers see this election as ‘Nawaz vs Bilawal’ — with some claiming that the election campaign will be trickier for the PML-N because of widespread resentment against the political party over its purported role in the crackdown on protests led by the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). They believe that the PML-N is utilising all efforts to win the Kashmir polls because it ...

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday expressed his hope of forming a government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), seeking “better results” from the public in the upcoming elections than in the previous one. He made the remarks while addressing a public rally in AJK’s Kotli ahead of the regional elections set for July 27. The PPP chairperson said that his party had contested the last election in AJK even when the PTI was in power in the Centre. “During the last elections, the PPP had the majority seats and the party had won the elections, but now the conditions are different,” he said. “For the past six months, the PPP has been in government in AJK, and our friend, Shehbaz Sharif, has been in power at the Centre for some years,” he elaborated, referring to the ruling coalition led by PML-N. Contending that there will be “no difficulties like before”, he told the public: “You have to furnish better results in this election than before.” Bilawal also criticised the registration of a murder case against o...

PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Wednesday that the situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) since last month was “very concerning”, and the longer it persisted, the more harm would be caused to the Kashmir cause and Pakistan’s reputation. Bilawal expressed these views while addressing his party’s office bearers and ticket holders in AJK, where he arrived on Tuesday for an unscheduled visit ahead of July 27 elections in the region. AJK has been seized by protests and deadly clashes between law enforcers and protesters from the recently proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) ahead of the polls. The matter at the centre of the tensions is JAAC’s demand for the abolition of 12 seats in the region’s Legislative Assembly that are reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir who settled in mainland Pakistan after 1947. Addressing his party’s workers against this backdrop, Bilawal said, “If someone uses inappropriate language against Kashmiris, we will be heartbroken.” He added...

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday met with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the Aiwan-i-Sadr. According to the PPP, the two discussed the “overall situation in the country, including matters relating to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)”. Tuesday’s meeting comes ahead of the upcoming elections in the region, scheduled for July 27. Last month, PPP’s Bilawal and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced that their parties would jointly contest the AJK general elections. Meanwhile, ahead of the elections, the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has called for widespread protests demanding the abolition of 12 reserved seats. Bilawal had also met with Dar last week to discuss the “situation in AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan”, according to Radio Pakistan. “Both leaders also agreed on the importance of holding free, fair, and transparent forthcoming general elections in AJK,” the report said. It is worth mentioning that last month, the PPP formed a governm...

• Bilawal reaches Gilgit from Skardu after Iran visit to attend CM’s swearing-in ceremony, originally scheduled for July 1 • Plans to decide composition of cabinet GILGIT: Advocate Amjad Hussain, the chief minister-elect of Gilgit-Baltistan, will take the oath of office on Monday (today) in Chinar Bagh after his July 1 swearing-in ceremony was postponed as his party chairman and ex-foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari went to Iran to attend Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral. The PPP chairman returned from Tehran and reached Skardu on Sunday where he was received by Governor Syed Mehdi Shah, CM-elect Hussain and senior PPP leaders before proceeding to Gilgit. Hussain was elected unopposed as the Leader of the House in GB Assembly on June 22. According to the PPP chairman’s schedule, he will attend a memorial for the martyrs of the Gilgit-Baltistan War of Indep­endence, where he will also address the gathering. Later, GB Governor Shah will administer the oath to CM-elect Hussain. The PPP’s central and local l...

PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Thursday that the federal government had promised that allocations for provinces under the 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) award would be “protected”, and that the Centre would not request any further “help or sacrifice” following the recent decision to freeze development allocations for the provinces. Bilawal joined the budget debate a day after he held a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is reported to have convinced the head of his coalition partner PPP to attend the budget session in the NA. “The provinces’ NFC award and financial resources have been kept protected; no damage will be caused to them,” Bilawal declared while addressing the NA, which was debating the proposed federal budget for the next fiscal year (FY27). “Besides this decision, the provincial governments will not be required to make any sacrifices,” he added. The government has decided to freeze development allocations for the provinces for three years to generate more than...

• PPP leader likely to deliver speech today, to ‘share reservations’ on budget; lauds premier, Field Marshal Munir for Iran peace deal • PM Office says Shehbaz, Bilawal agreed on ‘sustained collaboration’ between Centre, provinces for completion of projects ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif managed to convince the head of his coalition par­t­ner, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhu­tto-Zardari, to join the budget session after the latter skipped ear­lier debates owing to his gri­e­v­­a­n­ces with the federal government. The PPP leader was also reluctant to join the budget debate, and it took Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to convince him to come to the house so that the budget could be tabled. A source close to Bhutto-Zardari said the PPP leader still had reservations but agreed to deliver his speech in the lower house, most likely on Thursday (today), where he would share some of his concerns. In the meeting at the PM House, the premier agreed to address all the PPP concerns r...

Shehbaz woos Bilawal on budget backing

• Party claims budget differs from figures shared during pre-budget consultations • Questions provinces’ capacity to meet IMF-linked revenue targets • Another round of talks expected soon ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday once again conveyed his concerns over the federal budget to Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, indicating that he would not speak during the ongoing budget debate in the National Assembly unless all of the party’s reservations were addressed. “Bilawal sahib has decided that he will not deliver his speech unless all promises made by the government with the PPP regarding the budget are fulfilled,” a source close to the PPP chairman told Dawn after the meeting. In the huddle with Dar held at Parliament House, Mr Bhutto-Zardari was accompanied by senior PPP leaders, including Sherry Rehman, Naveed Qamar, Raja Pervez Ashraf and Ijaz Jakhrani. The source said Bhutto-Zardari appeared upset with the budget, stating that it was different from the docume...