Bilawal demands local bodies’ elections, calls for dialogue on AJK situation

ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday called on the federal government to conduct local government elections across the country, particularly in Punjab and Islamabad, stressing that grassroots democracy is essential for strengthening democratic institutions. Speaking during a session of the National Assembly, Bilawal questioned the delay in local government elections in Punjab and urged the ruling party to announce a schedule for the polls. “Why don’t you conduct elections in Lahore? The PML-N fears to hold a union council election where it has its own government,” said Bilawal. He said that the PPP is ready for the local bodies’ elections. He urged the federal government to empower the Islamabad mayor, so the Punjab and Sindh could follow the suit. “They [ruling PML-N] show lollypop instead of conducting LG polls,” he added. He said the PPP had held local government elections in areas under its administration and maintained that all political parties should be prepared to face the electorate at the local level. He added that local government elections in Islamabad should also be conducted within the constitutional timeframe. The PPP chairman argued that empowering local governments was crucial for effective public service delivery and democratic governance. He stressed that local bodies elections should be prioritised before discussions on any constitutional amendments. Bilawal also announced that a local government election schedule would be introduced in Gilgit-Baltistan following the formation of a government there with the support of coalition partners. Addressing the situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), he expressed concern over recent political tensions and called for dialogue to resolve differences. He said political issues should be addressed through engagement and consultation rather than confrontation. The PPP chairman criticised remarks made by a federal minister, saying such statements had aggravat