PPP links AJK election to peace in region

• Bilawal urges protesters to call off sit-ins • Party’s AJK wing wants election schedule withdrawn as PML-N insists on elections without delay • Two deaths reported from Rawalakot ISLAMABAD: In what appears to be a rethink of the elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the PPP swung into action on Sunday, with its chairman urging the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) to end its protests and its AJK chapter asking the Election Commission to withdraw the election schedule. The developments came as two people were killed and eight others injured in a clash between protesters and law enforcement personnel in Rawalakot. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari appealed to protesters in AJK to end their demonstrations, warning that the unrest was “damaging both the Kashmir cause and Pakistan’s international reputation”. In a statement, the PPP chairman said the imminent signing of the Pakistan-mediated peace agreement between the United States and Iran marked “a historic moment”. “At a time when the international spotlight is firmly on Pakistan, the ongoing unrest in AJK is damaging both the Kashmir cause and Pakistan’s reputation, ” the former foreign minister added. He urged protesters to end their demonstrations peacefully and asked those who had “taken the law into their own hands” to surrender to the authorities and allow “due process to take its course”. The PPP chairman stressed that political grievances should be resolved through “democratic, constitutional and peaceful means”. “Parliament and the political process — not the streets — are the appropriate forums for addressing and settling such issues, ” he said. Recalling that the PPP had already asked the AJK Election Commission to withdraw its “premature election schedule” for polls set for July 27, he said the party remained committed to a political solution and would seek the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address outstanding grievances. In an apparent reference to the June 5 decision to proscribe JAAC, he said the AJK government could review notifications issued against protesting groups if all stakeholders, including the federal government, reached a consensus. Withdrawal of poll schedule Meanwhile, PPP AJK President Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin urged the Election Commission to immediately withdraw the election schedule, stressing the need for initiating dialogue to defuse the current crisis. Addressing a packed press conference at Kashmir House in the federal capital after a meeting of the party’s core committee, Yasin said negotiations and political consensus were unavoidable to address the challenges facing the state and end the prevailing tensions. “Implementation has been completed on 37 of JAAC’s 38 demands. Only the constitutional matter relating to refugee seats remains under consideration, for which alternative legal and constitutional avenues exist, ” he said. Criticising the timing of the election schedule, he said its announcement just three days before the protest call was inappropriate. “Under the current circumstances, holding elections appears difficult. The Election Commission should withdraw the schedule and move the consultative process forward. The PPP is not in favour of any confrontation or clash. Twelve refugee seats cannot be more valuable than human lives, ” he said. He also warned that hostile forces, particularly India, could exploit the situation. The PPP AJK core committee unanimously decided to prioritise reconciliation and political harmony over confrontation. Rawalakot clash Two people were killed and eight others injured in a clash between protesters and law enforcement personnel near Eidgah Ground in Rawalakot during the early hours of Sunday, according to Poonch Divisional Commissioner Sardar Waheed Khan. JAAC has been holding nightly gatherings at the site since Wednesday. The shutter-down strike observed on JAAC’s call continued for a sixth consecutive day across most parts of AJK, including Muzaffarabad. Authorities also suspended mobile phone services in Rawalakot on Saturday night, while internet services, already suspended across the region, were extended for another six days until June 20. ‘PML-N wants polls sans delay’ Speaking to a private TV channel, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that the PML-N wanted elections in AJK to be held on time without delay. He described the polls as the solution to prevailing issues in the region. The minister said the PPP had not consulted the PML-N regarding the postponement of the AJK polls. Chaudhry said the current AJK Assembly had taken the oath on Aug 3 and noted that elections must be held before Aug 4. He affirmed that July 27 was scheduled to be the polling day in the region. However, he added that the deadline for submission of nomination papers could be extended if required. Referring to the recent unrest, Chaudhry expressed regret over the loss of lives in Rawalakot and urged protesters to end sit-ins and demonstrations. Meanwhile, Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said differences should be resolved through democratic and constitutional means. “Everyone has the right to protest, but taking the law into one’s own hands cannot be allowed, ” he told reporters outside Parliament House. Muharram factor PPP senior leader Nayyar Hussain Bukhari said the party had sought postponement of the AJK elections because of the law and order situation as well as the commencement of the holy month of Muharram, which would halt electioneering activities. “It has been the party’s position from the outset that elections should not be held in AJK without the restoration of peace, ” he said. Bukhari also said local government elections in Gilgit-Baltistan should be postponed because of Muharram. Syed Irfan Raza in Islamabad and Tariq Naqash in Muzaffarabad also contributed to this report Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2026

Read full story on Dawn