MUZAFFARABAD – Former Azad Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider has launched a scathing attack on the Pakistan Peoples Party, accusing it of systematic electoral fraud and abuse of state resources during the recent Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections. The senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader made the allegations while addressing a large public rally, framing his party’s performance as a popular mandate for former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s development agenda.
Allegations of Buying Consciences
Haider did not mince words, claiming the PPP resorted to financial coercion to sway voters. “The PPP bought the conscience of the people with money,” he declared to the gathered crowd. He asserted that despite these alleged tactics, the people of Azad Kashmir had rejected such maneuvers and placed their full confidence in the PML-N’s platform of progress and economic uplift, which he directly linked to Nawaz Sharif’s national vision.
Kashmir Solidarity and National Ideology
The former premier pivoted to the broader Kashmir conflict, linking what he described as weak governance in Pakistan to India’s controversial revocation of the region’s special status. “Pakistan was ruled by cowardly people, due to which India committed the tragedy of August 5, 2019,” Haider stated, referring to the abrogation of Article 370. He expressed a resolute belief that the occupied territory would eventually achieve independence and integrate with Pakistan.
Looking ahead, Haider stressed that the incoming government must prioritize promoting the ideology of Pakistan and fostering peace and brotherhood within Azad Kashmir. He confirmed that Nawaz Sharif would have the decisive say in selecting the next Prime Minister of the region, promising the choice would be dedicated solely to the betterment and prosperity of the Kashmiri people.
Homecoming in Chikar
Following his electoral victory, Haider returned to his hometown of Chikar to a hero’s welcome. Supporters and party workers greeted him with enthusiastic slogans expressing solidarity with Pakistan and the Pakistan Army, underscoring the charged political atmosphere surrounding the contested election results.
