LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari said the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir voted for the politics of public service, development and performance. She said every Kashmiri voter aspires to see Punjab-like development, while women also participated enthusiastically in the polling process. She said the Pakistan Muslim League (N) secured more than 100,000 votes in Azad Kashmir, while the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) received just over 2,000 votes. In the constituency of Qamar Zaman Kaira, the PPP secured only 457 votes, while PML-N candidates won by overwhelming majorities.
She said the people of Azad Kashmir had expressed their confidence in the performance of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, adding that the election results clearly proved that the public stands with the politics of service and development.
While addressing an important press conference at DGPR, Azma Bokhari said voters across various constituencies in Azad Kashmir had clearly voted in favour of Punjab-style development, public welfare and better governance. She added that several videos circulating on social media showed voters themselves saying they wanted Punjab-like development in Azad Kashmir, which is why they voted for the PML-N. She also praised the enthusiastic participation of women, who travelled from remote areas to cast their votes.
She said the PPP has nothing to show the people after 18 years in power. She remarked that if a party fails to convince the public of its performance despite ruling for such a long period, it should engage in serious self-reflection. She added that even the people of Sindh admire Punjab’s development, while the PPP had to remind voters of its performance through advertisements during the final phase of its election campaign.
Azma Bokhari said defeated and rejected PPP leaders in Punjab were pursuing the politics of chaos and discord. She said certain elements constantly seek political unrest, confrontation and instability in the country, while the voices of responsible political leadership are being suppressed and the ground realities are not being conveyed to Bilawal Bhutto.
The Information Minister alleged that the PPP made extensive use of Sindh’s resources during the Azad Kashmir elections. However, she pointed out that those playing the “media, media” game have yet to submit a single application for re-polling or recounting. She said only complaints have been filed with the Election Commission so far, while no formal application or credible evidence has been submitted for recounting or re-polling in any constituency.
She said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had issued clear instructions that no PML-N MNA or MPA would enter any polling station. According to her, all elected representatives remained confined to polling camps, where they facilitated voters and managed election arrangements.
Azma Bokhari told media that three PPP MNAs entered polling stations carrying weapons and were accompanied by a heavy contingent of Sindh Police, creating tension at several polling stations through the presence of unrelated individuals. She further said some PPP members had fallen to the extent of becoming “PTI Part Two.”
According to her, the unparliamentary language and style of politics being promoted on social media are inconsistent with the PPP’s traditional political identity.
Referring to repeated allegations that the federal government is a “Form-47 government,” she asked, “If this is a Form-47 government, why don’t they kick it out?” She added that if they truly believe in their claim, they should also resign from the Presidency, governorships and other constitutional offices, since the same elections produced the entire constitutional structure.
She also questioned the conduct of elections in interior Sindh, alleging that even opposition candidates are abducted there. She said the entire nation is aware of the electoral environment and political situation in Sindh and advised critics to examine their own electoral history before accusing others.
Azma Bokhari further said the PPP could never claim that it would turn Kashmir into Sindh. She argued that Bilawal Bhutto’s statement, “We will keep Kashmir like Kashmir,” is in fact a charge sheet against the Sindh government’s performance. Had Sindh’s governance been exemplary, she said, the PPP would proudly declare that it wanted to make Kashmir like Sindh. In contrast, she said, the PML-N confidently states that it wants to make Azad Kashmir as developed as Punjab so that its people can benefit from modern transport, clean drinking water, improved infrastructure, development projects and better public services.
She maintained that Bilawal Bhutto is deliberately kept unaware of the ground realities in order to conceal their embarrassment and humiliation. According to her, the local party leadership provides him with misleading information to cover up its own shortcomings, resulting in statements that are detached from facts and later require clarification.
Responding to questions from journalists, Azma Bokhari said political bitterness is never one-sided. She said Bilawal Bhutto, even while serving as Foreign Minister, delivered several harsh and inflammatory speeches, including during the Azad Kashmir election campaign. “If criticism comes from one side, it will naturally receive a response from the other,” she said.
Regarding inter-provincial political matters, she said she had not yet received any formal position from the party leadership and therefore would refrain from expressing a personal opinion. If the matter is discussed seriously, she said, the party leadership will decide its position.
She also criticised what she described as irresponsible claims about the collapse or failure of the political system. Those who themselves benefited from the same system, she said, are now declaring it a failure, while the performance of the institutions and departments under their own control is evident to everyone.
Regarding federal affairs, she said those matters do not fall within her jurisdiction. Referring to Khawaja Asif, she said he is a senior politician who speaks in light of facts and ground realities, and therefore questions relating to the federation are better answered by the federal government.
Concluding her remarks, Azma Bokhari said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif is leading the Punjab government with a strong and stable majority, adding that the political situation in Punjab remains completely stable.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026