Bilawal extends olive branch to PTI, calls for united fight against AJK rigging

Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday made a rare call for political unity, extending an olive branch to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and urging its leaders and workers to join hands with his party, abandon the politics of boycott and participate in the electoral process against alleged rigging in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir polls. Addressing an election rally in Muzaffarabad, Bilawal criticised the PTI for boycotting elections, saying, "If you want to boycott, then stay at home" and urged the party to fight for its rights by taking part in elections and engaging in politics. He also invited PTI leaders and workers to join hands with the PPP.

“2 تاریخ کو آپ کا امتحان ہے، انتخابات کا بائیکاٹ کرنے والوں کو سمجھائیں، دلچسپی نہ رکھنے والوں کو سمجھائیں کہ ایک طریقہ ہے دھاندلی روکنے کا کہ اتنی تعداد میں باہر نکلیں کہ ان کے جعلی ووٹ سے آپ کے حقیقی ووٹ اتنے زیادہ ہوں کہ حکومت آپ کی بنے، میں مظفرآباد کے عوام، نوجوانوں اور… pic.twitter.com/SUNHbUpVZZ — PPP (@MediaCellPPP) July 30, 2026 "Today, I extend my hand to PTI workers. Today, I extend my hand to the sincere politicians of PTI. Every political party that is tired of rigging, every political worker who wants to make their own decision — come, take my hand," he said, adding that "together, we can also bring reforms through Parliament." Bilawal said Pakistan and AJK should have free and fair elections, adding that if the agenda was limited to ensuring transparent polls, he was ready to work with all political parties to achieve that objective.

The PPP chairman also launched a fresh attack on the ruling PML-N, claiming it feared another electoral defeat in AJK after losing Gilgit-Baltistan because it could weaken its position in the federal government. Alleging that the PML-N was stealing the PPP's mandate, Bilawal warned that such actions would have political consequences. Read: AJK Assembly passes resolution seeking Truth Commission into recent unrest "If you keep stealing our mandate, your federal government will fall and I will come to unseat you," he said, adding that PPP workers had resisted military rulers in the past and would continue to defend the party's mandate.

Bilawal also accused the PML-N of benefiting from electoral rigging, alleging that the AJK Election Commission had ignored video evidence submitted by the PPP regarding alleged irregularities in Mirpur.