Political rivals should not let differences turn into animosity, says Nawaz

PML-N supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif said on Saturday that while political differences between opponents were common during elections, they should never turn into animosity, apparently referring to the deepening differences between the ruling party and its coalition partner, the PPP, at the Centre. Elections are being held across AJK in three division-wise phases amid tensions between protesters and the authorities that have been ongoing for over two months. Addressing a party convention in Murree, the party president congratulated the winners of the elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, while extending commiserations to the losing candidates. However, he noted that the complaints from the PPP have been “upsetting”. “We have always maintained good relations with our opponents. There is always disagreement in politics, but it should not reach the point where it creates animosity,” he said. “This is unacceptable.” The PML-N supremo noted that AJK’s atmosphere has always been good, but lamented seeing the buildup of enmity. “I was upset over their losses, and I have good relations with them personally,” Nawaz said. “We need to look at those factors which contributed to their defeat. We had very good candidates who bravely contested these elections. If they were defeated, we must look at the reasons why.” He noted, “We can lose seats, but we cannot lose our spirit. “God has granted us victory in these conditions. As you know, there have been three phases in these elections; the third phase has yet to conclude. But God granted us a majority in the first two phases. We cannot thank Him enough,” Nawaz added, warning that there is “no room” for hurting public sentiment. The PML-N supremo opined that this is the first time that such an environment was created in AJK. He attributed it to successive governments failing to fulfil their duties and meet the needs and requests of the people, regardless of whichever party was in power. “We absolutely need to enable progress in AJK, whatever way we can. We need to resolve problems there, and we will do what we’ve done in Punjab there,” Nawaz stressed. “It should be our duty, and we need to fulfil public sentiment. If, God forbid, we fail to deliver, the people of AJK will grow angry, and the reason behind it is valid. We would then need to look inward.” The PML-N supremo noted that the region needs a great deal of development and tasked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to provide AJK with as much funding as possible to build roads, hospitals, and ensure people have livelihoods. “Tourism needs to be promoted, and industry must be established. Agriculture requires our full attention, and [we can provide] agricultural loans like those in Punjab,” he added. Moreover, he said that people in Punjab are receiving loans for their houses and expressed his intention to launch such schemes in AJK. “I will absolutely direct Shehbaz sahib to launch these schemes in this region, and besides that, provide funding,” Nawaz declared. “People [need to] feel that they are being granted their rights. The people of AJK look at Punjab’s roads, hospitals and hope they are built in AJK; AJK’s children want laptops in their hands, and people should receive Kisaan cards and livelihoods.” Nawaz added that the rest of Pakistan is moving forward and different from the past, hailing PM Shehbaz’s efforts and vowing that current problems would be resolved very soon. The polls and allegations of rigging The polls are being held in phases amid unrest in the region. The PML-N bagged 24 seats — nine from Mirpur division in the first phase on July 27 and 15 in the second phase on Aug 2 comprising Muzaffarabad Division and the 12 refugee seats. The PPP, on the other hand, won only 10 constituencies during these phases. Polling concluded at 23 stations in two constituencies of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) Bagh district, having begun at 8am this morning. The AJK Election Commission earlier said polling was ongoing without any reports of violence, but the turnout in both constituencies was negligible. On Monday, polls went ahead in Bagh and Haveli, but the Election Commission later withheld the results of two constituencies pending repolling at 23 polling stations. It announced the result for LA-14 (Bagh-I), commonly known as Dhirkot, where Jammu Kashmir Awami Dast-o-Bazu Party candidate Sajid Iqbal Abbasi secured a landslide victory with 40,522 votes. The PPP has criticised the conduct of the AJK elections, with a high-level meeting of the party in Islamabad terming the polls “rigged and violent” and expressing serious concern over the role of the AJK Election Commission. Earlier this week a meeting, chaired by PPP Women’s Wing president and AJK affairs in-charge Faryal Talpur, also criticised the phase-wise conduct of the elections and demanded the immediate completion of polling in the remaining two districts of the third phase and seven constituencies of Poonch so that the Legislative Assembly could be fully constituted. The participants raised questions over the suspension of internet services, shortages of polling material and staff at some polling stations, and alleged inadequate security arrangements. The third phase, held on Monday, was originally meant to cover all of Poonch Division, which comprises 11 constituencies, including three in Bagh, one in Haveli, five in Poonch district and two in Sudhnoti district. However, the AJK Election Commission announced that polling would only go ahead as scheduled in Bagh and Haveli because of concerns over the law and order situation. PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari accused the PML-N of “robbing” votes in the second phase of the AJK elections as well. In a post on X, he condemned an “attack” on AJK Speaker and acting President Chaudhry Latif Akbar — also the candidate for LA-31 (Muzaffarabad-V). Accusing “miscreant elements of the PML-N” of being behind the incident, Bilawal said PPP worker Mushtaq Shah was killed in the same constituency. “The PML-N is robbing the votes of the people of Azad Kashmir through bullets, batons and coercion,” he alleged.