Kashmir elections: PPP leader slams statements made by Maryam, her father

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Central Information Secretary Nadeem Afzal Chan on Sunday strongly criticised Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz over their statements regarding the Kashmir elections, saying the PPP was ready to compare the two parties’ performance and policies on every issue.

Reacting to the statements of Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Chan in his video message said that he would request Nawaz Sharif, whom he described as an elder, to consider the circumstances in which the elections were held in Kashmir.

He said a major political party had boycotted the elections and the law-and-order situation was such that elections could not be held freely in certain areas. He alleged that the results were prepared according to the wishes of those in power, similar to what, he claimed, had happened in Punjab in the past.

Commenting on Maryam Nawaz’s performance, Chan acknowledged that the Punjab chief minister was working hard, but said the PPP was prepared to compare the two parties’ record of governance.

He claimed that the PML-N had remained in power for around four decades if the periods of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Imran Khan were excluded, adding that several PML-N members had also remained associated with the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid during Musharraf’s rule.

Chan said that the PPP’s media policy was not as effective as that of the PML-N and admitted that it was a weakness of his party.

“We accept that our media policy is not right and that we have not remained united on one direction,” he said, adding that the PPP had failed to effectively communicate its achievements to the public.

He challenged the PML-N to compare the record of privatisation under both parties and asked how many valuable national institutions had been sold during PPP and PML-N governments.

On agriculture, he said the sector was vital to Pakistan’s economy and claimed that wheat had to be imported during every PML-N government. He said the PPP was ready to compare its agricultural policies with those of the PML-N.

He also highlighted PPP-led projects in Thar and Karachi as examples of public-private partnerships and challenged the PML-N to identify similar projects undertaken in Punjab under the same model.

He further criticised the PML-N for bringing bureaucrats and business figures into politics, alleging that the party had promoted a system in which influential business families gained greater political influence.

Chan also called for a comparison of circular debt, independent power producers (IPPs) and alleged financial irregularities during the tenures of both parties.

“We are ready to compare every single policy with you,” he said.

Chan stressed that the PPP had a nationwide political character, with its leadership having roots in the smaller provinces.

Turning to Balochistan, he said the province should remain a key national priority and challenged the PML-N to compare its policies for Balochistan with the PPP’s Aghaz-e-Huqooq-e-Balochistan programme.

He said the federal government should pay equal attention to Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, stressing that “Lahore alone is not Pakistan.”

He said the PPP would accept electoral defeat if elections were held freely and fairly.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026