Bilawal launches AJK campaign, vows to raise people’s voice at Centre

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday formally began his election campaign in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), saying he would represent the people of the region at the federal level and on international platforms if given the mandate.

Addressing a public rally, Bilawal said the current situation in AJK was the worst he had seen despite the region having gone through both better and more difficult periods in the past. He described the prevailing circumstances as a test not only for the AJK government but also for the state of Pakistan and all political parties.

He said politicians were meant to speak for the public at the Centre and in global forums, but were not fulfilling that responsibility. Bilawal also said political leaders should serve as a bridge between the people of AJK and Islamabad, adding that this link was missing at present. According to him, the issue was not confined to AJK, as people in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan were facing similar problems.

Bilawal told the gathering that if the people of AJK entrusted him with that responsibility, he would become their voice. In his remarks, he framed the campaign around improving political representation for the region and narrowing the distance between the federation and the public in AJK.