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, “And if someone speaks up against our army, we can’t tolerate that as well.”

He emphasised that Pakistan’s armed forces, which had defeated India during Marka-i-Haq last year, were their “red line”.

Turning his attention to the present situation in AJK, he said it was surely “very concerning”.

“The longer it persists, the more harm will be caused to the Kashmir cause and Pakistan’s reputation and position,” he added.

At this point, he also highlighted the global situation, saying “big changes are taking place and conspiracies are under way globally”. And in this situation, the role of Pakistan and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir was “significant”, he said.

He continued, “Pakistan’s role, our field marshal’s role is before you in this situation; Pakistan is playing its role as Israel conspires against Iran; Pakistan has responded to India’s attacks; […] Pakistan and its armed forces are responding to terrorists sent by India via Afghanistan to carry out attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan; entire Pakistan is ready to respond to Modi as he weaponises water.”

He recalled that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Israel shortly before the US and Israel launched the ongoing war on Iran. Mentioning this, he stressed the need to realise that some powers were looking for opportunities to work against Pakistan, which was leading the efforts to foil their conspiracy of plunging the world into a war.

“All of us should think; Politicians in Pakistan and Kashmir, political workers, the common man and the people who are protesting should realise that we should choose our words carefully in these circumstances.

“We should do politics, but in a manner so that an adversary of Pakistan does not get to take advantage of our internal situation,” he said.

Then, again mentioning the situation in AJK, he said, “We all want that all issues be resolved politically and peacefully. We are making efforts for this.”

He added that the government’s stance in the matter was justified in a way, as “no one can blackmail the state, and the state is not ready to surrender”. On the other hand, various demands had been put forward, he added without going into further details.

He then shared his and his party’s perspective on the matter.

“The continuing loss of lives in AJK, including the deaths reported yesterday, is a national tragedy,” he said, expressing his “deepest condolences” to every bereaved family.

At least two law enforcers were martyred while seven activists of the proscribed JAAC lost their lives in separate clashes on Tuesday.

Bilawal said while addressing PPP members: “Every Kashmiri life is precious; the death of a peaceful citizen cannot be treated as an acceptable consequence of the political disagreement, just as the life of every police and security official must also be protected.”

He emphasised that people of AJK had an “unquestionable right” to raise their political, economic, and constitutional grievances but “peacefully”.

“Peaceful protesters must not engage in violence or hate speech, and the peaceful citizens must also not be indiscriminately branded as terrorists, anti-Pakistan or agents of any foreign power merely for demanding their rights,” he said.

The PPP chairman stressed that any specific allegation of violence, whether against a protester or a member of law enforcement, must be investigated “individually, impartially, and according to the law”.

“The present confrontation cannot be resolved through force or inflammatory accusations, nor can the commitments made in writing be allowed to disappear into competing claims about what has or has not been implemented,” he added.

Without naming anyone, he continued: “Their competing accounts regarding recent events, the conduct of different parties, the implementation of previous agreements, the cases that have been registered, and the notification proscribing the protesting organisation — these matters should not be decided through accusations, collective blame or further confrontation.”

“The PPP, therefore, proposes the establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission, constituted with the agreement of all parties concerned.”

“The commission should be given a sufficiently broad mandate to examine the present situation, establish the relevant facts, consider the grievances and position of all sides, review the outstanding political, legal, and administrative questions, and recommend a just and lasting way forward,” he added.

Bilawal reminded that he had already opposed the “questions or questioning” of the Kashmiri identity of the people of Rawalakot on the floor of the National Assembly.

“Let me reiterate: no one sitting in Islamabad has the right to determine who is or who is not a Kashmiri,” the PPP chairman said.

He stated that the “dignity and identity” of the people belonging to AJK were not “conditional upon their agreement with any government”.

“I appeal to the protesters to ensure that their activity is peaceful and to cooperate in creating a space required for immediate and meaningful political negotiations,” Bilawal said.

He emphasised that this appeal was not “a request for surrender or silence,” but it was an appeal “to save lives while pursuing a just political settlement”.

“Pakistan’s relationship with the people of Kashmir must be founded upon consent, dignity, democratic rights, and mutual respect,” he said.

“At this grave moment, our first responsibility is to prevent further bloodshed and to restore trust through verifiable actions,” the PPP chairman proposed.

“I appeal to the protesters to suspend their activities, sit-ins and long marches once the agreement has been reached on the formation of such a commission,” he added.

Correspondingly, he stated that the authorities and the government should “refrain from further measures pending the outcome of such a truth and reconciliation commission”.

He said that if the proposal was acceptable to the government of Pakistan, the government of Azad Kashmir and the protesters, and if all parties were willing to accept it, the PPP was ready to play its part in helping resolve the current crisis in the best interests of the people of AJK.

Bilawal said that he had also spoken with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who had assured him that he would discuss the proposal with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Sharing his thoughts on the upcoming elections in AJK, Bilawal admitted that it was “difficult” to contest the polls given the prevailing situation; however, he stressed that the PPP would never step back from the elections.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has introduced new travel guidelines for dual nationals, ARY News reported on Wednesday, citing well-placed sources.

As per details, all Pakistani citizens travelling on foreign passports must hold either a valid Pakistani visa or a valid National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) to enter the country, according to official sources.

The Interior ministry has informed immigration authorities of the revised procedures, which have now been implemented at airports across the country.

Under the new guidelines, Pakistani citizens will not be permitted to enter the country using an expired or cancelled NICOP, sources said.

The restrictions apply to travellers arriving from all countries, including the United Kingdom. Passengers travelling on foreign passports must present either a valid Pakistani visa or a valid NICOP upon arrival.

The new measures have been enforced at all international airports in Pakistan, according to the sources.

Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif called for the ending of dual citizenship of bureaucrats.

Speaking on ARY News’ program Khabar, Khawaja Asif stated that bureaucrats should be required to declare their assets annually, urging that their dual citizenship should be ended, along with halting the allocation of government plots to them.

Asif remarked, “While not all, at least 25 to 30 percent of the bureaucracy is corrupt. The government is spending around Rs 3.5 trillion annually on bureaucrats, and I would urge my government to introduce legislation targeting this issue.”

He clarified, “I did not name anyone specifically when discussing the bureaucracy. It’s often said that politicians are responsible for looting the country, but there is an institution in the government that holds us accountable. Has anyone ever held a bureaucrat accountable?”

The National Savings has officially announced the results of the 107th draw of the Rs 750 Prize Bond, bringing excitement for thousands of bondholders across Pakistan.

The computerized draw was held in Lahore in July 2026, and the winning bond numbers have now been revealed.

Bondholders can now check whether their bond numbers are among the lucky winners of this latest draw.

Rs 750 prize bond winning numbers

First prize winner

The first prize of Rs. 1.5 million was awarded to the holder of prize bond number 976106.

Second prize winners

Three lucky bondholders won the second prize of Rs. 500,000 each. The winning bond numbers are:

Third prize winners

A total of 1,696 bondholders have won the third prize of Rs. 9,300 each. The complete list of third-prize winning bond numbers will be released separately by National Savings.

Tax deduction on prize bond winnings

The cash prizes are subject to a government withholding tax of 15% for tax filers and 30% for non-filers.

For the Rs750 Prize Bond, the cash prizes are subject to withholding tax deductions based on the winner’s tax status. Tax filers face a 15% deduction, while non-filers are charged a 30% deduction.

A winner of the first prize of Rs. 1,500,000 will receive Rs. 1,275,000 after tax deduction as a filer, while a non-filer will receive Rs. 1,050,000 after the 30% tax deduction.

For the second prize of Rs. 500,000, a tax filer will receive Rs. 425,000, whereas a non-filer will get Rs. 350,000 after the applicable tax is deducted.

The third prize of Rs. 9,300 will be reduced to Rs. 7,905 for filers and Rs. 6,510 for non-filers after tax deductions.