Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday urged the government and protesters in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to agree to the formation of a truth and reconciliation commission, saying it was the best way to resolve the region’s prolonged unrest peacefully.
Addressing party workers in Muzaffarabad during the first phase of the AJK Legislative Assembly elections, Bilawal said an independent commission should investigate the causes of the unrest and help restore public confidence.
“It is necessary that during these historic elections, we restore peace and maintain fairness and transparency,” he said, adding that both the state and protesters should accept the PPP’s proposal.
Bilawal said his party had been advocating the formation of a truth and reconciliation commission for the past month, arguing that an independent inquiry could have prevented the recent violence and loss of life.
He said the commission should determine the facts surrounding the unrest while protesters suspended their demonstrations until its findings were released. According to Bilawal, neither side had been willing to compromise.
The PPP chairman also urged authorities not to take indiscriminate action against protesters, saying those responsible should instead be identified through an independent investigation.
Bilawal further accused the federal government of placing the political interests of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) ahead of the broader national interest, alleging that the approach was harming both Pakistan and Kashmir.
Turning to the elections, Bilawal alleged that polling in Mirpur Division had been marred by rigging, intimidation and violence. He said the PPP would seek to ensure that every vote cast for the party was counted and would pursue all seats it believed it had legitimately won.
His remarks came a day after the PML-N emerged as the largest party in the first phase of the AJK Legislative Assembly elections, winning nine of the 13 seats contested across Mirpur Division, according to unofficial and unconfirmed results. The PPP secured the remaining four seats.
The PML-N has not immediately responded to Bilawal’s allegations regarding the conduct of the polls.