Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Nawaz Sharif on Saturday sought to defuse the situation with coalition partner, the Pakistan Peoples Party, saying political differences among rivals were common during elections but should never descend into personal animosity.

Addressing a party convention in Murree, the PML-N president congratulated the winners of the recent elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, while offering his condolences to the defeated candidates and urging them to examine the factors that led to their loss in the region.

Nawaz also expressed disappointment over the recent developments, noting that complaints from the PPP had been “upsetting”.

“We have always maintained cordial relations with our political opponents. Differences are part of politics, particularly during elections, but they should not reach a point where they breed animosity,” he said. “That is not acceptable.”

The PML-N supremo said AJK required substantial development and tasked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with providing the region with the maximum possible funds for infrastructure and public welfare projects.

He said the people of AJK had voted the PML-N to success and warned that failing to fulfil the commitments made to them would understandably lead to public resentment and called for the construction of roads and hospitals and measures to ensure livelihoods for the people of the region.

“Tourism should be promoted and industries established. Agriculture also needs our full attention, and agricultural loans on the lines of those provided in Punjab can be extended to farmers in AJK,” he added.

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More to follow.