• Raja Pervez Ashraf confident of party’s victory in coming polls
• Warns India will ‘pay a heavy price’ if it attempts to stop Pakistan’s share of water

LAHORE: The issue of refugee seats is constitutional in nature and would be decided by the upcoming Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly, former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference, the PPP central Punjab president expressed the confidence that his party would secure a convincing victory in the upcoming AJK elections, adding that only free, fair and transparent elections could help address the region’s issues.

He also announced that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari would soon visit the region.

Ashraf reiterated that the PPP believed in peaceful political struggle and said the current situation demanded comprehensive political dialogue involving all political forces.

He said the PPP leadership, including Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and President Asif Ali Zardari, had a deep historical connection with Kashmir, adding that the party would never compromise on the Kashmir issue.

Describing the PPP as the representative party of the people of AJK, Ashraf said it required no external assurances. He reiterated that Kashmir was Pakistan’s jugular vein and recalled that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had always forcefully presented Pakistan’s position on the issue.

The PPP leader’s comments came a day after party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari met Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday to discuss the overall political situation and developments in AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The discussion between the two leaders centred on the ongoing political and administrative developments in AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Both leaders had affirmed their commitment to ensuring that the upcoming general elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir are conducted under the strictest standards of electoral integrity, transparency, and democratic fairness.

‘Pay a heavy price’

Ashraf said that Pakistan will protect its water resources at all costs, warning that if India attempts to stop Islamabad’s water, it will have to “pay a heavy price” because water is the country’s lifeline and cannot be stopped under any circumstances.

Strongly criticising India’s stance on the Indus Waters Treaty, Mr Ashraf said New Delhi was attempting to stop Islamabad’s share of water despite having no authority to unilaterally suspend the treaty. He termed India’s position illogical, claiming that the International Court of Justice had also rejected such a stance.

Ashraf alleged that India was trying to avenge its May 10 defeat by creating instability in Pakistan. He urged the nation to remember the sacrifices of the armed forces and martyrs, saying generations make sacrifices for the development and survival of nations.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2026