Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari traded accusations over the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) election results, with both sides alleging political manipulation and defending their respective positions.
In a statement posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Maryam Nawaz said the PPP, which she described as a “master of subtle rigging tactics,” was now complaining about rigging. She sarcastically asked, “What time is doomsday?”
Earlier, the Punjab chief minister said that if the PPP had performance, good governance and a public-focused agenda, it would not waste time attacking others. She said that despite 17 years in power in Sindh, the party had little to show.
Maryam claimed AJK voters supported development initiatives, including the Green Bus project, “Apni Chhat Apna Ghar,” “Apna Khet Apna Rozgar,” Kisan Card, improved roads and law and order. She urged the PPP to review its performance instead of blaming others and called on Bilawal Bhutto to accept defeat in AJK and focus on addressing issues in Sindh.
پیپلز پارٹی جو دھاندلی کی باریک واردات کی ماسٹر ہے، دھاندلی کا رونا رو رہی ہے، قیامت کتنے بجے ہے؟
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 29, 2026
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari also criticized the PPP, saying AJK voters had chosen development and innovation.
Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, she said the public should accept election results with an open heart. She questioned the PPP’s performance in Sindh, asking why Karachi still lacked an effective transport system and why waste management remained an issue despite years in power.
Bukhari alleged that PPP leaders were frustrated after the Mirpur division results and claimed that defeated PPP candidates had received funds worth Rs250 million each.
Earlier, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari alleged that votes in Mirpur and Kotli had been “stolen” during the AJK elections.
Addressing a PPP workers’ convention in Muzaffarabad, he questioned whether the situation could be called democracy and said the state must decide whether national interest or the interests of a particular party were more important.
Bilawal said the people of Mirpur had supported PPP through their votes but claimed that state decisions appeared to favor the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). He warned that if the system lost credibility, democracy would suffer and no one would benefit.
