Azad Kashmir elections prompt calls for Kashmiri self‑determination

Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said only the people of Kashmir can decide the region's future, rejecting any role for Islamabad or Pakistan's provinces. He appealed to voters to support PPP candidates in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections scheduled for July 27, arguing that a PPP win would keep the decision‑making power with Kashmiris.

Istehkam‑e‑Pakistan Party president Abdul Aleem Khan urged voters to view the same election as a chance for economic revival. He promised investment, tourism development, job creation and transparent governance, and encouraged citizens to choose candidates based on performance rather than party slogans.