AJK election results remained at the center of political debate on Tuesday as Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal urged PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to accept the outcome of the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections. Speaking alongside Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, he called for respecting democratic traditions and displaying sportsmanship.
Ahsan Iqbal said the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir had expressed confidence in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) through their votes. He maintained that the party’s governance record, particularly in Punjab, played an important role in shaping the electoral outcome.
Rejecting the PPP’s allegations of rigging, the federal minister described the claims as baseless and contrary to democratic principles. He argued that no formal complaints had been raised by the PPP until around 9pm on election day, adding that allegations surfaced only after the party faced defeat.
Iqbal said questioning the credibility of the election after the results amounted to disrespecting both the electoral process and the voters. He added that political parties should accept the public mandate regardless of whether the outcome favors them.
Referring to previous elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, the minister said that when the PPP emerged victorious there, it described the elections as transparent. He argued that calling the AJK polls rigged after losing reflected an inconsistent political approach.
The planning minister described Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s recent remarks as inappropriate and said democratic leaders should follow the example of accepting election outcomes gracefully. He urged the PPP leadership to promote positive politics instead of making allegations.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry also addressed the media, stating that the AJK elections were conducted in a fair, transparent and impartial manner. He said voters exercised their democratic right freely, while Ahsan Iqbal thanked the people of Mirpur Division for supporting the PML-N.
