'PPP has become a part-time PTI,' says Azma Bukhari

LAHORE, August 3, 2026: Punjab Information Minister Azma Zahid Bukhari on Saturday launched a blistering attack on the Pakistan Peoples Party over the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections, saying voters rejected “politics of chaos” and that PPP agents were so few they could be “thrown out of any polling station,” ARY News reported.

Addressing a news conference, Bukhari said women voted for Muslim League-N in large numbers in the AJK polls because they were impressed by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s performance in Punjab.

“Women said they chose PML-N because of Maryam Nawaz’s performance. The people of Azad Kashmir are also impressed by the Chief Minister of Punjab,” she said. “We have been saying many times that PML-N is asking for votes on the basis of Maryam Nawaz’s performance.”

Azma Bukhari claimed PPP failed to secure votes even in its own strongholds and accused it of crying foul without evidence. “I have not seen anywhere where people said they voted for PPP. In Qamar Zaman Kaira’s constituency seat, the result came and his candidate got only 457 votes,” she said.

She accused PPP leaders of creating a drama after the vote. “Some politicians are losers who want chaos in the country all the time. The people have rejected the politics of unrest and chaos.”

“Sharjeel Memon held a press conference a while ago. The same crying has been going on since yesterday. At 10:18 am yesterday they started crying that we have been robbed, there was rigging,” Bukhari said. “PPP has not yet submitted any request for recount or evidence to the Election Commission. They are just playing media media.”

The minister alleged PPP lawmakers violated rules on polling day. “Maryam Nawaz’s instructions were that none of our MNA, MPA would go inside a polling station. Three PPP MNAs entered polling stations by force with weapons,” she said. “PPP cried that their MNA was shot. Rana Sanaullah has given a full response to their crying.”

Azma Bukhari also linked PPP to PTI’s tactics and questioned its governance record. “PPP’s training has fallen so low that it has become a part-time PTI. PPP has been in power in Sindh for 18 years and has nothing to show for its performance. People in Sindh are told through advertisements what PPP’s performance is.”

She cited Gilgit-Baltistan results to underline her point. “In Gilgit-Baltistan, PPP got 30 percent and PML-N got 22 percent votes. The turnout and number of votes in AJK are much higher than that. PPP is the party that is upset that turnout was so high.”

Taking a swipe at Bilawal Bhutto, Azma Bukhari said, “I feel Bilawal is given wrong reports by his local representatives. It seems emotional statements are made to get from Bilawal and then he gives clarifications later. I give Bilawal a safe passage. Whatever is put in his ear, he says it.”

She warned that PML-N would respond in kind if PPP continued its attacks. “We are silent because of the Charter of Democracy, otherwise we also have answers. We can also talk about characters like Rehman Dacoit and Uzair Baloch. If Sharjeel Memon talks about Gulu Butt, then we also have an answer.”

Azma Bukhari said PML-N believes in service and development politics. “Those who cannot tell their people what they did in 18 years, that is their incompetence.”

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