'Tick tock': Bilawal says PML-N's 'countdown' has begun, will hold rally in AJK's Poonch ahead of polls
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday reiterated his warning to the PML-N that a “countdown” for it has begun, as he declared that his party’s “movement” for people’s rights will extend to the entire country.
Bilawal made the remarks in a series of video messages he shared on X, wherein he reiterated his allegations of rigging against the PML-N — his party’s ally in the Centre — during the ongoing Azad Kashmir elections.
The PPP and the PML-N have been engaged in a war of words since the latter emerged in the lead in Mirpur polls on July 27. The PML-N has also won the majority of the seats in the second phase, with the PPP accusing it of rigging and other violent tactics in both phases.
In one of the three clips posted on X on Monday, Bilawal affirmed that his party’s struggle for the people’s right to governance, ownership and employment will continue.
“This movement will not remain restricted to the mountains of Kashmir or Gilgit-Baltistan. God-willing, I will run this movement across the entire Pakistan,” he declared.
The PPP chairman added, “And my message for the friends in PML-N is just this: you can hear that voice, listen carefully, tick tock, tick tock. Your countdown has begun.”
Punjab’s Information Minister Azma Bokhari even reacted to Bilawal’s statement, quipping: “Oh no, we are scared. What will happen now?”
Bilawal had given a similar warning last week to the federal government, which is led by the PML-N in alliance with his own PPP.
Senior leaders of his party have made similar remarks in recent days, even alleging the PML-N of rigging in the 2024 general elections, which resulted in both parties being part of the current ruling coalition. Both parties have also traded barbs over governance, political mandate and provincial performance.
Last week, Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan claimed that “the powers that be” were unhappy with the ruling PML-N.
In his videos today, Bilawal announced holding a jalsa in Poonch division’s Bagh town ahead of the elections set for August 10 across the division.
“The PPP does not lose courage, back down or leave the field. You should be ready,” he said.
The PPP chairman urged the people of Muzaffarabad’s LA-27 (Kutla) and LA-28 (Lachhrat) — where polling will be held tomorrow (August 4) after being suspended due to issues arising from bad weather — to vote for PPP candidates Bazil Naqvi and Javed Ayoub.
Bilawal paid tribute to the people of Kashmir for “competing with the PML-N, its threats, rigging and bullets” in the ongoing elections.
He reiterated the PPP’s claims that its party worker was killed, an MNA suffered a bullet injury, and its leader Chaudhry Latif Akbar — currently the acting AJK president — was “attacked” on Sunday during polling in Muzaffarabad.
The PML-N has disputed the claim about the party worker, saying he died from a heart attack and was not part of the PPP.
In one video clip, Bilawal asserted that the elections so far have not been transparent.
“These were rigging elections, bullet elections, murderous elections and bloody elections,” he claimed.
Addressing his supporters, he said, “Despite all this, you have secured nine seats for PPP. God-willing, I will get you back the seats stolen from you in Mirpur and Muzaffarabad.”
CEC stresses law and order for polling to go ahead on all Poonch seats
Separately, AJK Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal stressed the importance of law and order in Poonch for polling to proceed in all constituencies on August 10.
The AJK CEC told the media today that considering the situation in Poonch division, the commission would conduct polling on August 10 in three constituencies in Bagh, one in Haveli and one in Abbaspur.
However, the constituencies of Baloch and Palandri (in Sudhnoti district) were also under consideration, he said.
“If we receive positive reports from there and the way people in Muzaffarabad rejected all pressures and tactics, came out of their homes and cast their votes, people in Poonch also extend the same cooperation, God-willing, we are ready to hold elections in all constituencies except for Rawalakot city and Thorar.”
At the same time, he said: “Our preparation is complete for all constituencies. However, the law and order situation and the demands of the safety of voters play an important role in holding elections.”
Responding to a question, he said that under the AJK constitution, the current Legislative Assembly ceases to exist after August 4.
“Even if elections cannot be held in two or a few more constituencies, one cannot say that the house is not complete or those who have returned cannot take oath or perform their functions,” he explained.
He said the new assembly would still take oath after the completion of the August 10 polls.
For LA-27, where the election had been postponed across the constituency, he said polling will be held at all 197 polling stations tomorrow (Tuesday).
Polling would be held on Tuesday from 8am to 5pm at 54 polling stations in three union councils (UCs) of LA-28 Muzaffarabad-II (Lachhrat).
Polling staff and election material could not reach these areas in time due to road blockades. At two of these polling stations, supporters of a candidate had set ballot boxes on fire.
The CEC affirmed that adequate arrangements had been made to reopen the roads following bad weather.
After security personnel returned from other areas, additional forces had been deployed in view of the sensitivity of these constituencies to ensure the electoral process was completed peacefully. He added that polling staff had already been dispatched to their respective stations under security escort.
In view of Tuesday’s polling, the Muzaffarabad deputy commissioner has declared a public holiday across the district.
Expressing regret over allegations levelled against the Election Commission, CEC Mughal said the electoral watchdog was a constitutional and autonomous institution whose responsibility was to conduct free, fair and impartial elections without favouring any party.
He said it was the state’s responsibility to provide full security and assist the Election Commission.
“We perform our duties in accordance with the Constitution and the law, and our conscience is clear.”
Speaking about the second phase of elections held on Sunday, the AJK CEC said voter turnout in the seven constituencies stood at 53 per cent.
“This was certainly a difficult election, and given the circumstances that were created, this is by no means a low turnout,” retired Justice Mughal noted.
“I congratulate the people for making the right decision. They rejected the path of violence and chose the power of the vote instead — a path of positive change that will produce beneficial results.”
Ruling coalition ‘safe’ even without PPP
The PML-N-led federal government is said to be in a safe position even if the PPP withdraws its support to the PML-N in the National Assembly, as in the house of a total of 336 members, 169 votes are required to form the government.
Presently, the NA has 333 members as three seats are vacant.
Of these, the ruling alliance comprises: PML-N with 132 seats; PPP with 74; Mutahidda Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) with 22; PML-Q with five; Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) with four; independents with four; and PML-Z, National Party (NP) and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) with one seat each.
The numbers show that even if the PPP leaves the ruling coalition, the PML-N-led alliance will have 170 seats, which is one seat more than the required number of 169 seats.
On the other hand, the opposition has a total of 89 votes, with PTI (who are considered independents) having 74 seats, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F (JUI-F) having 10 seats and one seat each held by Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP).
If the PPP and the entire opposition join hands, even then they cannot topple the PML-N-led set-up, as the combined 163 members are six less than the 169 seats required to form the government.
Whereas, if the PPP continues to attach itself to the ruling alliance, the alliance’s total seats will remain 244, 20 more seats than the number required for a two-thirds majority in the house to make any legislation smoothly.
