New Delhi, August 20 (IANS) The feud within Pakistan’s ruling alliance stood wide open with the recently concluded sham elections in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari openly warning Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) that his party would not cooperate with the government on any matter tills its concerns, particularly over the polls, were addressed.
The partners have been at loggerheads ever since the staggered elections began in PoJK, with the PPP repeatedly alleging that its ally had resorted to rigging the polls, according to recent reports in Pakistan’s media.
Additionally, the issue once again highlighted the contradictions in Islamabad’s narrative of the region being “Azad” or independent.
Bhutto-Zardari has now accused PML-N of “robbing the votes of the people through bullets, batons, and coercion”, calling the elections a theft of mandate.
With PPP being a federal alliance partner, the rivalry in PoJK has deepened mistrust, with the clash undermining the coalition government’s credibility, risking paralysis in Islamabad.
Far from being a free exercise of democratic will, the polls were marred by violence, coercion, and widespread allegations of manipulation.
Early results showed the PML-N securing a majority of seats even before the final round of voting. The process was overshadowed by bloodshed, with dozens killed in clashes and protests.
The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which spearheaded demonstrations against Islamabad’s repressive policies, called for a boycott, citing the lack of autonomy and the continued imposition of refugee-reserved seats.
Internet shutdowns and information blackouts further delegitimised the exercise, underscoring the extent of Pakistan’s control over the region it insists is “free”.
Meanwhile, the elections exposed the fragile alliance between the PML-N and PPP.
While the two parties are coalition partners in Islamabad, their rivalry in PoJK has been fierce. That these parties hold sway in PoJK itself amplifies Islamabad’s control over the region.
Bhutto-Zardari accused the PML-N of “robbing the votes of the people through bullets, batons, and coercion”, framing the elections as a theft of votes rather than a legitimate contest.
The PPP has taken its grievances to the PoJK’s “High Court”, arguing that government formation is unconstitutional until polling is completed in the remaining districts.
This legal challenge, combined with Bhutto-Zardari’s latest fiery rhetoric before the media, has deepened mistrust between the coalition partners and cast doubt on the stability of the federal government.
The implications of this standoff extend far beyond PoJK. Pakistan is already grappling with multiple crises. These include an economy in freefall, inflation at record highs, dwindling foreign reserves, and IMF-imposed austerity measures that have fueled public anger.
And at the same time, insurgency and secessionist movements are gaining ground, with the JAAC-led protests in PoJK evolving into one of the largest anti-Pakistan mobilisations in years.
Other parts of the country, like Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, also continue to face secessionist movements.
Now Bhutto-Zardari’s warning of “Your countdown has begun”, directed at Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, is particularly significant. It signals PPP’s intent to challenge beyond PML-N dominance in PoJK to its willingness to even destabilise the coalition government in Islamabad.
For Sharif, already struggling to maintain credibility amid economic collapse, public discontent and a mounting Army supremacy, Bhutto-Zardari’s challenge represents a serious threat.
If the PPP escalates its opposition, the ruling alliance could break, leading to governance paralysis at a time when Pakistan can least afford it. The elections in PoJK thus loom as a part of Pakistan’s broader political and economic crisis. They reveal a government losing legitimacy, a coalition tearing at itself, and a society boiling with discontent. Islamabad’s claim of “Azad Kashmir” rings hollow when elections are conducted under bullets and batons, and when not only the Opposition, but allies too accuse each other of stealing the mandate.
Bhutto-Zardari’s warnings now sharpen the knife hanging over Sharif’s fragile government, which now faces the daunting challenge of surviving amid an imminent collapse. Overall, the PoJK fig leaf of an election may be remembered less for the outcome than for what it revealed about a state struggling to maintain control, a political system riddled with contradictions, and a government teetering on the brink of collapse.
–IANS
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