ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader and Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has accused the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of coming to power through a “rigged” and “fake mandate” in the 2024 general elections and alleged that the party is now seeking to repeat the same practice in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, Memon said the PPP would not tolerate any attempt to undermine the public mandate and would defend voters’ rights through every constitutional and legal forum.
He said the PPP had always stood for Parliament, democracy and the Constitution, while claiming that the PML-N lacked a genuine public mandate and that questions over the 2024 election results remained unresolved.
Memon called for fresh elections in constituencies where serious irregularities had been reported, particularly the constituency of PPP leader Chaudhry Yasin, saying re-polls were necessary to restore public confidence.
He also criticised PML-N leaders Khawaja Asif and Khawaja Saad Rafique, accusing them of insulting Kashmiris and making inappropriate remarks about martyrs. He said such statements were unacceptable and should not be used to demean the people of Kashmir.
Memon further alleged that the PML-N government in Punjab and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz were operating on a “fake mandate” and claimed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had also previously come to power through a “backdoor.”
Defending the PPP’s record in Sindh, Memon said the party represented people from across Pakistan and that Sindh elected representatives from diverse linguistic communities.
He claimed the provincial government had delivered significant work in health and other sectors, attracting people from across the country to Karachi for treatment and employment.
He alleged that journalist Khurram Iqbal was “disappeared” over a tweet and claimed media outlets were being pressured not to report damage caused by rains, including through threats to withdraw government advertising. He termed the alleged actions authoritarian.
Memon accused the PML-N of promoting ethnic politics and attempting to create divisions among provinces for political gains. He also alleged that the PPP had been deprived of seats it won in Gilgit-Baltistan and claimed evidence of rigging existed in the AJK elections.
He made clear that the PPP would not boycott the AJK elections, saying it would use every legal and constitutional avenue to protect its mandate.
Questioning alleged extra-judicial actions by state institutions, Memon said such practices were contrary to the rule of law. He reiterated that the PPP would continue its political and legal struggle to protect the rights and mandate of the people.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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