Bilawal favours same-day elections across country

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is said to support holding elections in Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan on the same day as polls in the rest of the country, with party figures and an election observer also backing the broader idea of synchronised voting.

According to an informed source within the PPP, Bilawal believes that conducting elections in Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan on a timeline significantly different from the rest of Pakistan affects electoral outcomes and prevents both regions from producing genuinely representative leadership.

A PPP leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Bilawal’s view is shaped by a recurring pattern in which election results in Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir have tended to favour the party in power in Islamabad. The leader said the PPP chairman believes that if elections were held simultaneously across the country, voters in both regions would be able to make their choices more freely rather than aligning with the ruling party at the centre.

The same party leader said Bilawal may begin preliminary efforts aimed at exploring whether election dates can be aligned nationwide.

Party leaders respond

PPP Information Secretary Nadeem Afzal Chan said he was not aware of any such internal discussion within the party, but added that the sentiment does exist. He said the party leadership has objected to what it sees as federal government interference in Gilgit-Baltistan elections, particularly in light of visits by the prime minister and federal ministers.

On Bilawal’s reported position, Chan said he was not in a position at this stage to either confirm or deny it. He also said the PPP chairman is expected to visit Gilgit-Baltistan after Eid.

Chan further said the PPP is currently engaged in seat adjustment arrangements with different political parties.

A senior PPP leader and former governor of Gilgit-Baltistan also said he was unaware of any discussion on the matter within the party leadership, but agreed that synchronising elections has become necessary. He said that whichever party forms the federal government — whether the PPP or the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) — gains an unfair advantage in elections, while parties outside government are left at a major disadvantage.

On alliance arrangements, he said the party has so far finalised only one seat adjustment with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) in Darel.

Support from election observer

PILDAT Chief Ahmad Bilal Mehboob said he supports a one nation, one election approach. He said the matter goes beyond influence over Gilgit-Baltistan or Kashmir and also concerns the broader disruption caused by repeated elections.

According to Mehboob, elections create administrative and political disruption, making it preferable to hold them together at one time. He also said he supports the idea of local bodies elections being conducted on the same date as other elections.

Pattern in past elections

Election outcomes in Gilgit-Baltistan since the elected assembly was formed in 2009 have largely followed a consistent trend in which the party ruling in Islamabad has usually gone on to form the government in the region.

During the PPP’s tenure at the centre, it formed the government in Gilgit-Baltistan. The same happened for the PML-N during its period in federal power, and later for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) when it was in office at the centre. A similar pattern, has also been seen in elections in Kashmir.