By Staff Reporter
MUZAFFARABAD: A fleet of green electric buses presented as a “gift” from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has become the focal point of a bitter dispute with the rival Pakistan Peoples Party, after the vehicles arrived in Muzaffarabad on Saturday, just two days before voters in Azad Jammu and Kashmir go to the polls in the territory’s 2026 general election.
The buses arrived a day after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz unveiled a series of development schemes at election rallies in Muzaffarabad and Mirpur, including a pledge of ten electric buses for each city, alongside a number of other public welfare initiatives. Maryam Nawaz confirmed the buses’ arrival in the regional capital on Saturday afternoon, sharing a video showing several of the vehicles adorned with posters bearing her image.
The PPP responded angrily, branding the move “political bribery” and lodging a complaint with the Election Commission accusing the PML-N of breaching the code of conduct governing the campaign period.
PPP Secretary General Nayyer Hussain Bukhari met AJK Chief Election Commissioner Justice (Retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal on Saturday to press the party’s case, urging him to take notice of the Punjab government’s decision to hand over the buses — each bearing photographs of Maryam Nawaz — to the AJK administration. Bukhari argued that the PML-N was attempting to “buy the AJK elections” using public money raised from taxpayers in Punjab, and questioned whether the vehicles had been purchased “from the account of Jati Umra”, a reference to the Sharif family’s estate.
“After the announcement of the election schedule, any such step by any executive amounts to a clear violation of election laws,” Bukhari said. He also used the meeting to submit a request for a no-objection certificate allowing the PPP to run a “motivation service” tied to its manifesto and election campaign, and asked the commission to rule on the request promptly. Broader matters relating to the general election, the code of conduct and the permission letters required by political parties were also raised during the meeting.
The Election Commission had already moved to address the growing controversy before Bukhari’s intervention. A spokesperson said on Saturday that federal and provincial ministers remained free to take part in campaigning across AJK, but were barred from using official protocol, government resources or state machinery for electoral purposes. Any new development scheme, financial package, public facility or welfare project announced during the campaign period would constitute a violation of the code of conduct, the spokesperson warned, adding that any vehicles, equipment or relief goods dispatched by federal or provincial governments during the election period would be confiscated, with legal action taken against those responsible. All ministers, candidates and political parties were urged to observe the code strictly to ensure elections that are free, fair and transparent, and to maintain public confidence in the process.
The commission repeated and sharpened that warning in a further clarification issued on Sunday, stating explicitly that the announcement of new development schemes, financial packages or public welfare projects during the campaign was strictly prohibited, and that the use of official resources, machinery, vehicles or equipment by federal or provincial governments for electoral purposes amounted to a clear breach of the rules. Ministers could campaign, the commission reiterated, but could not draw on official protocol, vehicles, resources or machinery while doing so, and any violation could result in the seizure of government vehicles, equipment or relief goods, alongside legal proceedings against those found responsible.
The PML-N, for its part, presented the arrival of the buses as proof that Nawaz Sharif had made good on a promise to the people of Kashmir. According to the party, the convoy of ten electric buses gifted by the Punjab chief minister was welcomed by PML-N leaders, party workers and local residents upon its arrival, having departed from Islamabad the previous day. The vehicles were decorated with banners carrying Maryam Nawaz’s photograph alongside a message describing them as a gift to the people of AJK.
The dispute has added a fresh layer of tension to a campaign already entering its final stretch, with political parties now on notice over the strict enforcement of the code of conduct ahead of the first phase of polling for the AJK Legislative Assembly.
The row unfolded alongside a flurry of other political developments over the weekend. The PML-N announced an alliance with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan for the AJK election, according to a private news channel cited by the INP news agency. MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar announced the withdrawal of his party’s candidates during a media appearance alongside PML-N Sindh leader Bashir Memon, calling on the government to approve the MQM-P’s longstanding demands concerning the governorship of Sindh and Article 140-A of the constitution. “PML-N’s win in Azad Kashmir will be our victory,” Sattar said.
The PPP, meanwhile, sought to rally its own supporters. Central spokesperson Shazia Marri said party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was striving for a “bright and empowered future” for every Kashmiri, and that he had campaigned on a platform centred on the right to rule, the right to property and the right to employment for the people of the region. “This is not a crime,” she said. Marri called on the PML-N to set out its own plan of action for Kashmir rather than attacking political allies, arguing that “the people of Kashmir do not want allegations by political parties; they want solutions to their problems.” She accused Nawaz Sharif of repeating a narrative on which he had failed to deliver despite serving three terms in power.
PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman struck a similarly confident tone, predicting that voters in AJK would back the party’s “arrow” symbol on 27 July in favour of what she described as “the politics of development, stability and public service”. She paid tribute to Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for leading what she called a dynamic and effective campaign across the territory, saying he had made the case for Kashmiri development and a more prosperous future at every public gathering. Political parties, she added, should focus on public service and practical solutions rather than rhetoric that polarises the political environment, and no city, district or region should be subjected to political mockery, which she said ran contrary to democratic values and the spirit of respectful political discourse. “The relationship between the PPP and people of Kashmir is not based on temporary political expediency,” she said. “It is built on decades of trust, sacrifice and unwavering public service.”
Amid the political sparring, officials have sought to project confidence in the mechanics of the vote itself. Chief Election Commissioner Justice Mughal said earlier in the weekend that all administrative, logistical and security arrangements for the general election had been completed, with every effort being made to ensure peaceful polling across the territory. Chairing a meeting in Mirpur to review preparations for the first phase, he said he was satisfied with the arrangements made and directed civil and security institutions to coordinate closely to preserve public confidence in the process. He instructed authorities to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to any lapse in polling station security, and called for swift action against rumours or misinformation that could threaten the integrity of the vote.
Responding to criticism over the commission’s decision to stagger polling across multiple phases, Justice Mughal rejected suggestions that results declared in one division could sway voting patterns elsewhere in the territory. “The people of AJK are politically conscious and fully capable of exercising their democratic right independently,” he said.
Briefing that meeting, Mirpur Division Commissioner Raja Tahir Mumtaz Khan said 288 candidates are standing across the division’s 13 constituencies, with the largest field found in LA-3 Mirpur City, where 34 candidates are contesting the seat. He added that 13 monitoring zones and 205 sectors had been established to oversee polling operations, with arrangements for election staff, transport, materials and contingency planning all finalised. Of the 2,316 polling stations initially reported ahead of the vote, 1,241 were classified as highly sensitive, 724 as sensitive and 351 as normal — figures that reflect the scale of security planning undertaken for polling day, though the Election Commission has since given a revised total of 2,554 polling stations and 3,701 polling booths established across the division.
Outlining the security plan, Mirpur Division DIG Kamran Ali said 18,560 personnel drawn from the police, Civil Armed Forces and Pakistan Army would be deployed across the division — including 5,536 in Mirpur district, 4,504 in Bhimber and 8,520 in Kotli. He described a three-tier security structure, with police forming the first layer of protection, the Civil Armed Forces the second and the Pakistan Army the third, while a further 2,100 army personnel would be deployed to reinforce security and help ensure polling passes off peacefully.
Meanwhile, AJK Secretary Information Muhammad Rashid Hanif and Director Information Tariq Jamil Durrani issued a joint appeal to journalists and media organisations to ensure responsible, impartial and professional coverage of the election. They urged reporters working across print, broadcast and digital media to publish only verified and balanced information, to avoid rumours and inflammatory content, and to adhere to both the Election Commission’s code of conduct and established journalistic ethics. They placed particular emphasis on the responsible use of social media platforms, including Facebook, X, WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, saying these channels should be used only to share authenticated information, and warned that the spread of unverified or misleading material could disturb public order or undermine confidence in the democratic process, particularly during the sensitive stages of vote counting and the declaration of results. The Information Department said it would remain in close contact with media organisations throughout the election period to provide timely and verified official updates.
Voting in the first phase of the AJK Legislative Assembly election will take place on Monday across 13 constituencies in Mirpur Division, where more than 1,401,439 registered voters are eligible to cast ballots. In Kotli district, some 647,000 voters will elect representatives to six assembly seats, while in Bhimber district roughly 342,000 voters will vote across three constituencies. Mirpur district itself has around 411,000 registered voters contesting four seats. The AJK government has declared Monday a public holiday across Mirpur Division to support turnout, with further phases of polling scheduled to follow in Muzaffarabad and Poonch divisions under the Election Commission’s revised timetable.
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