By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday thanked Allah for what she described as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) “resounding victory” in the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections in Mirpur Division, while urging the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to accept the electoral verdict with grace instead of alleging rigging.
Congratulating the people of Mirpur and Kotli, she said they had made the “best decision” by voting for development and a better future for their children. “The people did not merely stamp the lion; they voted for their own success and the development of Azad Kashmir,” she said, expressing confidence that the outcome of the first phase would influence the rest of the region.
The chief minister congratulated PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying the people had listened to and understood the party’s message and had endorsed the promises made by Nawaz Sharif. She also appreciated the efforts of Rana Sanaullah, Amir Muqam and the party workers for running a successful election campaign.
CM Punjab said the PML-N had secured nine of the 13 key seats in the first phase and expressed confidence that the party would also win the remaining constituencies.
Expressing disappointment over the reaction of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, she said the PPP should have accepted the results in the spirit of democracy instead of using “inappropriate language” and making allegations.
She said election outcomes were decided by the people, not the state, recalling that the PML-N had accepted the PPP’s victory in the Gilgit-Baltistan elections without raising allegations of rigging. “When you won Gilgit-Baltistan, we accepted the result wholeheartedly. Now that you have lost Mirpur, you are alleging rigging,” she said.
CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz claimed the difference between the public rallies of the PPP and the PML-N was evident, alleging that PPP gatherings remained largely unattended. She said the PPP lacked a convincing narrative, performance record and programme for the people of Azad Kashmir, besides having no reform agenda or governance record to present before voters.
Referring to Sindh, where the PPP has remained in power for 17 consecutive years, she said the party had failed to showcase any significant development projects or present a roadmap to the public despite enjoying uninterrupted rule. She alleged that the province still suffered from broken roads, weak infrastructure and inadequate public services.
“The PPP neither understands the people nor their needs, and the people, in turn, have failed to understand the PPP,” she said, adding that political rhetoric alone could not win elections in an era where voters judged governments by their performance.
Describing today’s youth as politically aware, she said voters no longer responded to complaints or allegations. She criticised Bilawal Bhutto for targeting senior political leaders during the campaign, saying parties with a strong manifesto and performance record did not need to rely on personal attacks.
She said voters had endorsed welfare initiatives such as the Green Tractor Scheme, Apni Chhat Apna Ghar programme, Apna Khet, employment initiatives, the Kisan Card, road infrastructure, development projects and improved law and order.
The chief minister said Bilawal Bhutto had repeatedly criticised the federal government during the election campaign while overlooking the fact that the PPP itself had been governing Azad Kashmir for the past year. She alleged that the deterioration in the region had occurred during the PPP’s tenure.
Calling repeated allegations of rigging “regrettable”, CM Punjab claimed that videos circulating on social media showed bags of votes allegedly recovered from the homes of PPP candidates. She challenged the PPP to produce similar evidence against the PML-N.
She urged the PPP to respect the people’s mandate and appealed to Bilawal Bhutto to focus on improving governance in Sindh. According to her, people coming from Sindh often expressed the desire for a province like Punjab and a Karachi comparable to Lahore in terms of development.
She maintained that Punjab’s progress was the result of sustained hard work and urged the PPP leadership to concentrate on improving roads, hospitals, law and order and other public services in Sindh through greater focus and better governance.
Maryam Nawaz said the PML-N had promised to make Azad Kashmir like Punjab, whereas the PPP, despite ruling Sindh for 17 years, had never claimed it would transform Azad Kashmir into Sindh. She added that Karachi’s deteriorating conditions were known to the world.
She further pointed out that no caretaker government was in place during the AJK elections and that the PPP had contested the polls while already in power in the territory. “The PML-N was not in government in Azad Kashmir. Think before making allegations, as you are effectively accusing your own government of rigging,” she said.
The chief minister said governments were judged on performance rather than complaints, adding that people voted for development, public projects and a better future for coming generations.
She urged the PPP to improve its governance and performance in Sindh so that it could earn public support through tangible work rather than criticism of political opponents.
She assured the people of Azad Kashmir that, if elected, the PML-N would begin serving them without delay. She said the reforms introduced in Punjab would also be implemented in Azad Kashmir, and pledged that essential services and public facilities would be delivered to the people at their doorstep.
She appealed to voters in the remaining phases of the elections on Aug 2 and Aug 10 to support the PML-N “for the sake of development and progress.”
