Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday said his criticism of alleged irregularities in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections could not endanger the party’s coalition with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz at the Centre, but warned that alleged rigging and what he described as theft of the public mandate could have implications for the ruling alliance.

Speaking to the media after meeting AJK Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar and PPP workers at his residence here, Bilawal said the PPP-PML-N coalition at the federal level remained intact.

“My statements cannot put our coalition with the federal government in danger,” Bilawal said, while cautioning that alleged manipulation of the AJK electoral process and denial of the public mandate could create difficulties for the alliance.

The PPP chairman said alleged vote theft and what he called an assault on the people’s mandate were “unacceptable”, arguing that he could not remain silent when party workers were allegedly targeted.

“If my worker is killed, how can I remain silent?” he asked, saying he had the right to raise his voice for the rights of PPP workers and the people.

Bilawal said the political crisis in AJK could be resolved through democratic means and called for the people’s mandate to be respected. He alleged that polling had been interfered with at around 30 polling stations and claimed that the PPP was given four seats instead of the eight it expected.

He further alleged that rigging had taken place in Kotli and claimed that votes were “stolen at gunpoint”. Bilawal demanded that AJK voters be allowed to exercise their democratic right freely, saying any attempt to undermine the electoral process was unacceptable.

READ: PML-N secures strong lead in AJK polls, wins 9 of 13 seats in Mirpur as unofficial results pour in

Calling on the people of AJK to participate fully in the remaining phases of the elections, he urged voters to elect their representatives through the ballot. He reiterated that the PPP believed in democracy, the sanctity of the vote and respect for the public mandate.

Bilawal’s remarks came amid heightened political tensions following the first phase of the AJK Legislative Assembly elections in Mirpur Division, where the PML-N emerged as the leading party while the PPP alleged irregularities in the electoral process.

PPP AJK President Chaudhry Yasin, AJK Prime Minister Faisal Rathore, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Nadeem Afzal Chan and Nabila Ayub were also present.