PPP, JUI-F announce alliance for AJK polls

PPP withdraws two candidates whilst JUI-F pledges to back PPP nominees in the remaining constituencies to contest the upcoming Azad Jammu and Kashmir general elections together.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Sunday announced a political alliance for the upcoming Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) general elections. Under the agreement, the PPP has withdrawn two of its candidates in favour of the JUI-F, whilst the JUI-F has pledged its support for PPP candidates in all other constituencies.

The formal announcement was made during a joint press conference at Kashmir House by PPP AJK President Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin and JUI-F AJK chief Maulana Saeed Yousaf. Senior PPP leader and former AJK minister Mian Abdul Waheed and PPP candidate Nabila Ayub were also in attendance.

Describing the alliance as a historic day in AJK politics, Yasin stated that the PPP and the JUI-F had formally agreed to contest the elections together. He praised Maulana Fazlur Rehman as a seasoned politician who believes in dialogue and mutual understanding, adding that the alliance would benefit both political parties as well as the state.

Yasin announced that JUI-F’s Maulana Saeed Yousaf will serve as the joint candidate of both parties in the constituencies of LA-14 Dhirkot and LA-23. He confirmed that PPP candidates, including Nabila Ayub and another female candidate, would withdraw their nomination papers in favour of Yousaf.

Addressing the press conference, Maulana Saeed Yousaf noted that this marks the first time in the history of AJK that the PPP and the JUI-F have entered into a political alliance. He explained that the PPP will support his party in two constituencies, whilst the JUI-F will support PPP nominees across all remaining constituencies. He added that JUI-F candidates had initially filed nomination papers in 13 constituencies, and he appealed to them to withdraw their papers to fully support the PPP nominees.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeem and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday urged the government to resolve the ongoing crisis in AJK through dialogue instead of force, warning that any action leading to bloodshed would further aggravate the situation. Hafiz Naeem called on Fazl at his residence in Islamabad to discuss the prevailing situation in AJK, after which the two leaders addressed a joint press conference.

Hafiz Naeem stated that the developments in Kashmir have caused widespread concern across the country, describing the issue as highly sensitive and noting that it has plunged the entire nation into anxiety. He remarked that sacrifices have been made for Kashmir for the past 80 years and the issue has been consistently raised at the United Nations.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman endorsed Hafiz Naeem’s remarks, stating that they reflected the sentiments of the entire nation. He also revealed that the first person to contact him regarding the crisis was Mushaal Hussein Mullick, the wife of the imprisoned Kashmiri Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik.