PPP chairman describes the election as a referendum on AJK’s rights, development and future
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. SCREEN GRAB
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday criticized the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for passing off publicly funded buses as personal gifts as he made a final appeal to voters in Mirpur division to support the party’s ‘arrows’ symbol in the first phase of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legismorl elections on Monday (AJK).
“These buses are not anyone’s gift; they are the people’s right,” Bilawal said in a special message issued from Islamabad on the eve of the vote.
He argued that the PPP had delivered practical development rather than just making promises, criticizing what he described as politically timed development announcements, saying projects funded by taxpayers’ money should not be portrayed as personal gifts by political leaders.
Bilawal launched a political attack on the PML-N, saying that the people of “Kashmir and Kashmore, Mirpur and Mirpur Khas” shared the same spirit in defending their rights and would not allow anyone to undermine their claim to their land or future.
Mian Sahib @NawazSharifMNS but manaain
Magar Kashmir ho ya Kashmore, Mirpur ho ya Mirpurkhas, In ke sirf naam nahin milte; inka mizaj bhi milta hai, inki ghairat bhi milta hai aur apne haq ke liye kharay hone ka hausla bhi milta hai.
Kashmore for Kashmir koi apne… pic.twitter.com/egV52it88d
— Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (@BBhuttoZardari) July 26, 2026
He claimed that just as the PML-N had been rejected by the voters in previous elections in Kashmir and Kashmore, the voters would repeat this verdict in the current polls.
Bilawal described the election as a referendum on AJK’s rights, development and future.
He urged voters to give the PPP a strong mandate and promised that the party would not compromise on the rights of the people of AJK and would continue its struggle to secure what he described as the rights of sovereignty, ownership and employment for Kashmiris.
कैशमुर हू या कैश्म्री – कुई प्रभी हैक पर के को को डाका नहीन देखा दे गाना, . People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari का वीडी पेशाम #MirpurMainTeerChaleyGa pic.twitter.com/RdIDWupCJI
— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) July 26, 2026
“The people of Mirpur sacrificed their homes and land for the Mangla dam and it is because of these sacrifices that large parts of Pakistan were electrified,” he said.
“No one can deny that the people of AJK have an equal share in the region’s resources, decisions and future,” Bilawal said, adding that Pakistan owed a debt to Mirpur for its sacrifices instead of doing it a favor.
Read: Bilawal vows to protect AJK rights, accuses PML-N of pursuing ‘anti-Kashmir’ agenda
He argued that the people of AJK should enjoy the same basic rights as any Pakistani citizen, including what he called the rights of sovereignty, ownership and employment.
Bilawal also called for the immediate establishment of a dedicated compensation fund for those affected by the recent violence, saying such measures would help restore public confidence and normalcy.
He concluded by urging the voters of Mirpur division to stamp the arrow symbol and vote for development, prosperity and protection of the rights of the people of Azad Kashmir.
