Bilawal accuses PML-N of fueling rifts in ruling alliance

Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has accused unnamed figures within the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of widening divisions inside the ruling coalition and weakening Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s position. His remarks came on Friday during an election rally in Poonch district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, where campaigning is under way ahead of the region’s third phase of polling.

According to Dawn, Bilawal said he was not questioning the prime minister’s intentions and described Shehbaz Sharif as a good man. He argued, however, that people around the prime minister were acting with bad intentions and creating friction between him and his allies.

The PPP chairman said the Pakistan Peoples Party had not started what he called a countdown to the government’s collapse, suggesting instead that tensions were being driven by elements inside the PML-N. He added that the real dispute was not between the PPP and the ruling party in elections, but within the broader coalition dynamic.

The comments reflect a sharp escalation in the war of words between the PPP and the PML-N, which has intensified since the Muslim League-Nawaz took the lead in Mirpur polls on July 27. The PML-N has also secured the majority of seats in the second phase of the elections, while the PPP has accused it of rigging and violent tactics in both phases.

Bilawal also questioned the decision to hold the Kashmir elections in multiple phases. He asked whether the polls had ever been held in six phases before and said that if Kashmir is one unit, the vote should have taken place on a single day. He said the phased schedule was intended to keep the process calm and ensure free and fair elections.

The exchange underscores the strain on relations between the two parties at a time when the coalition government in Islamabad is already under political pressure. Bilawal’s remarks indicate that the PPP wants to frame the current confrontation as an internal problem within the PML-N rather than a direct conflict between the two parties alone.

As campaigning continues in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the dispute is likely to remain part of the broader political debate around the election process and the balance of power among coalition partners.

FAQ

What did Bilawal Bhutto Zardari say about the PML-N?

He alleged that certain elements within the PML-N were sowing division among allies and undermining Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Where did he make the remarks?

He spoke at an election rally in Poonch district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Why are the PPP and PML-N at odds?

Their tensions have grown after the PML-N’s lead in Mirpur polls and its gains in the second phase, with the PPP alleging rigging and violent tactics.