Tarar rejects PPP allegations, urges acceptance of AJK results

Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has rejected the Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) allegations of rigging in the

Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has rejected the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) allegations of rigging in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, saying the claims are baseless and unsupported by credible evidence.

Speaking at a media briefing in Islamabad, Tarar said political parties have the right to raise concerns about elections, but such allegations should be backed by concrete proof rather than speculation or political statements. He urged the PPP to accept the election results with political maturity and respect the democratic mandate of the people.

The minister said political point-scoring is common during election campaigns, but parties should focus on serving the public instead of making accusations without evidence. He maintained that the election results reflected the will of the people and should be accepted by all stakeholders.

Responding to criticism from Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Tarar questioned the basis of the PPP’s allegations and asked the party to present evidence if it believed electoral irregularities had occurred. He said making serious accusations without proof damages the democratic process and undermines public confidence in institutions.

Tarar said the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir voted for the party that presented a stronger development agenda and remained committed to public welfare. According to him, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) centred its election campaign on development projects, better public services and addressing the needs of the people, which earned the confidence of voters.

He also advised the PPP to review its own governance performance instead of blaming others for its electoral defeat. He said political parties should learn from election results and strengthen their public outreach rather than questioning the democratic process without evidence.

The information minister said the AJK elections were conducted through a complete democratic process. He noted that voters actively participated in election rallies, corner meetings and polling, reflecting the public’s confidence in the electoral system.

Tarar recalled that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had congratulated the PPP after its victory in the Gilgit-Baltistan elections, describing it as an example of democratic values, political tolerance and respect for the public mandate. He said all political parties should demonstrate the same spirit by accepting election outcomes gracefully.

The minister added that the PML-N leadership, including party president Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, ran a united and well-organised campaign in AJK. He said the coordinated campaign and focus on development helped the party secure widespread public support.

His remarks came after PPP leaders announced that they would challenge the AJK election results through constitutional and legal forums, alleging widespread irregularities during the polling process. The PPP has demanded investigations and re-elections in constituencies where it believes electoral violations took place.