Islamabad: Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary on Tuesday said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) secured a decisive victory in the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections because the people endorsed the party’s development agenda and governance model.
Addressing a press conference alongside Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Prof. Ahsan Iqbal, Dr Tariq said the PML-N’s victory reflected public confidence in its development agenda, which was presented during the election campaign through public rallies addressed by party leader Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif in Muzaffarabad and Mirpur.
He described the Mirpur public gathering on July 24 as historic and said the party had promised to replicate in Azad Jammu and Kashmir the same model of development being implemented in Punjab under Maryam Nawaz Sharif and at the federal level under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“Our strength lies in the successful and popular development projects already being delivered by the federal government and, in particular, in Punjab, which borders Mirpur Division, ” he said.
According to Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, the people of Mirpur and Kashmir demanded initiatives similar to Punjab’s Suthra Punjab programme, laptops for youth, green buses, hospitals with modern facilities, a cancer hospital, a specialised heart hospital, and infrastructure development across the region.
He said these were the commitments made by the PML-N during the election campaign, adding that the election results showed the people had endorsed the party’s politics of development.
Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary said the first phase of the electoral process in Azad Jammu and Kashmir was completed on July 27, during which polling was held in all 13 constituencies of Mirpur Division.
He said, by the grace of Almighty Allah, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz won nine of the 13 seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured the remaining four.
Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary said that while the party was naturally delighted to secure more than 70 per cent of the seats in Mirpur Division, the greater satisfaction was that the elections remained peaceful, impartial, and credible.
He congratulated the Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the Mirpur Division administration, police, and everyone involved in conducting the polls, saying no one had been able to question the transparency of the electoral process.
Referring to two isolated incidents, the minister said one involved an exchange of fire between rival groups that resulted in the loss of a precious human life, which he strongly condemned.
In another incident in LA-6, ballot boxes were taken from a polling station, but the administration acted immediately, arrested those responsible, and brought them before the law.
Apart from these incidents, he said polling in all 13 constituencies remained peaceful and the opposition had been unable to level any allegations of rigging or manipulation of the election results.
He added that conducting clean, transparent, and credible elections in AJK was essential for maintaining peace in the coming days.
The minister urged political opponents to focus on the remaining phases of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, scheduled for August 2 and August 10, instead of criticising the PML-N’s promises.
He said if the PPP had development achievements in Sindh, it should present those before the people rather than criticising the PML-N’s connection with the people of AJK.
“We have successful models of governance in Punjab and at the federal level, and we are telling the people of Kashmir that these same models will be implemented in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, ” he said.
Criticising the PPP’s campaign, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had focused on political division, instability, and allegations against federal ministers instead of presenting a governance model.
He recalled that when he and Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal informed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that Rs28 billion would be required to meet the demands of the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the premier instructed them to proceed with the commitments and assured them that even Rs38 billion would be provided, if necessary, to ensure peace in the region.
Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary said the federal government honoured those commitments and had consistently prioritised peace in the region.
He also urged the PPP to display political maturity by accepting the election results, recalling that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had congratulated the PPP on its electoral success in Gilgit-Baltistan.
The minister further said political rivalry should not be allowed to undermine unity in AJK, adding that the people of the region were politically aware and capable of deciding who could best shape their future.
Commenting on voter turnout, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary said a banned organisation had called for a boycott of the elections, yet nearly 700, 000 voters exercised their democratic right during the first phase.
He termed the Mirpur Division election a referendum in favour of democracy, saying the people had rejected the boycott call and instead chosen the political process, peace, stability, and development over violence and hatred.
Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary expressed confidence that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz would also perform strongly in the remaining phases of the elections on August 2 and August 10, saying the party relied on governance, development, and public service rather than slogans, hatred, and division.
He also expressed confidence that the PML-N would ultimately secure a majority in the 33-seat Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
