PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari warned on Thursday that a stolen election in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) would start a “countdown” for the federal government.

“The PML-N thinks that after its defeat in Gilgit-Baltistan, a defeat in AJK would mean a countdown begins for its government,” he said while addressing a rally in Muzaffarabad ahead of the August 2 elections. “But this is a misconception.”

“If you steal [the election] … write it down, take my guarantee, that a countdown will start for your federal government,” he warned.

“If you steal my mandate, I will come for your throne.”

The PPP scion added that his party contained elders who had challenged former leaders including General Ziaul Haq and Pervez Musharraf, and were experts at “hunting lions”.

He further extended a message to the PTI to “start doing politics” and leave behind “boycott politics”.

“Boycotting elections, boycotting Parliament, boycotting committees, boycotting your work, boycotting struggle — if you want to boycott, you might as well just sit at home,” he said, calling on the PTI to contest elections and do their job as a party.

“Today I extend my hand towards PTI’s workers, towards its serious politicians,” he said. “To every political party that is tired of rigging, to every political worker who wants to make their own decision, come and join your hand with mine.”

He expressed hope that together, they could bring about parliamentary reforms and ensure fair elections in Kashmir and all of Pakistan, expressing his readiness to work with all political parties on that agenda.

Bilawal added that there was one way to stop rigging in an election: to turn out in such large numbers that an “injection” of false votes would not be effective, calling on PPP supporters to ensure this massive turnout during the second phase of the elections on August 2.

While addressing the rally, he said that he welcomed the PML-N’s promise to give Kashmir buses, but added that “if you come to Muzaffarabad bringing the spectacle of what you have done in Lahore, people will ask: what you have done in Muzaffarabad?”

Referring to the CMH Flyover project in AJK, he pointed out that this had not been completed in five years. Meanwhile, the PPP was responsible for all three medical colleges in Kashmir as well as universities.

“I don’t want to make Kashmir into Punjab, or even Sindh,” the PPP chairman said. “I want … to make Kashmir into a strong Kashmir. I want to see it free.”

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