GILGIT, JUN 1: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday called for elections in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir to be held simultaneously with country’s general elections, saying it would strengthen public sovereignty.
“True public sovereignty would only be ensured if elections in GB were held alongside Pakistan’s general elections,” he said while addressing an election rally in Shigar’s GBA-12 constituency as part of electioneering for the June 7 polls set to be held in the region.
The PPP chief said that his party remained committed to securing the rights of the people of GB and ensuring transparent elections in the region.
He urged voters to safeguard their mandate and expressed hope that no seats would be “stolen” in the upcoming polls.
Bilawal criticised what he described as an Islamabad-centric approach to governance, saying some political parties wanted to run GB, Gwadar and Karachi from the federal capital.
“I want the decisions of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan to be made by you, not by a babu sitting in Islamabad,” he said.
He added that the people of the region should be allowed to make their own decisions and argued that greater local authority would lead to economic progress.
“If the people of Shigar are given authority, they will achieve economic development,” he said.
Referring to federal institutions, Bilawal said that if the federation was facing financial difficulties, it should first consider closing the ministries dealing with GB and AJK.
The PPP chairman also highlighted his party’s welfare initiatives, including the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), and claimed that only the PPP could protect the scheme.
Bilawal alleged that other political parties wanted to “end the BISP in one way or another”, warning against proposals to devolve the scheme to the provinces.
“Across the world, these responsibilities are undertaken by the federal government,” he said, adding that handing BISP over to the provinces would amount to ending the programme.
According to Bilawal, he had promoted BISP as a successful welfare model during his tenure as foreign minister. “I used to tell Afghanistan to adopt the BISP as a model and help poor people,” he said.
Bilawal reiterated his demand for free and transparent elections in GB, urging voters to safeguard their mandate during the upcoming polls.
“Even today, our demand is that transparent elections should be held in Gilgit-Baltistan,” he said, urging voters “to return with Form-45 in your hands.”
“You support me and I will take care of Form-47 myself,” the PPP chief added.
