ISLAMABAD, July 29: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has clarified his earlier remarks about the “state,” saying he was not referring to the establishment, ARY News reported.
Speaking on ARY News’ programme The Eleventh Hour, Bilawal said he had spoken about the state in the context of national interest and not the establishment.
Earlier in the day, while addressing a workers’ convention in Muzaffarabad, Bilawal had said, “The state must decide whether national interests are more important or protecting the interests of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).”
Clarifying the statement, he said the PPP stands with every decision taken in the national interest, adding that Pakistan’s role in the region requires political consensus on issues of national importance.
Bilawal Bhutto also raised concerns over the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections, saying a more transparent electoral process would have been preferable. He alleged that a PPP worker was killed and one seat was “stolen,” while claiming that around 30 polling stations in Chaudhry Yasin’s constituency were occupied and polling agents were forced out.
He said the PPP would pursue legal avenues to reclaim the disputed seats.
The PPP chairman further alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and federal ministers violated the election code of conduct by participating in the AJK campaign. He also claimed there were attempts to manipulate election results in Gilgit-Baltistan and Mirpur, adding that his party would seek justice for candidates who had faced alleged irregularities.
Bilawal Bhutto said he had proposed the formation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission through a letter to address the situation in AJK. He urged both protesters and the government to avoid escalation and said neither side had responded to his proposal.
He also said peaceful protests could not involve the use of weapons and stressed that allegations and counter-allegations should be replaced with dialogue and a reconciliation process.
Responding to criticism from federal ministers, Bilawal said their allegations were not based on facts and could harm the Kashmir cause. He added that he had always focused on political issues rather than personal attacks and would continue to pursue what he described as positive politics.