PTI says won’t contest AJK polls amid protests

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Thursday announced it will not participate in the AJK elections under the prevailing circumstances.

“Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf will not engage in the politics of power by ignoring the voice of Kashmiri people. Our foremost priority is to support the basic rights of Kashmiri people, their democratic demands and a just political process. We will stand with people and not contest elections,” it was resolved.

“Thousands of citizens are sitting in protest in Rawalakot and various other areas to press their legitimate demands.,” the party noted.Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf also announced suspension of all recommendations made by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Parliamentary Board regarding the distribution of tickets to candidates, saying no further progress will be made on issuing tickets or at any stage of the electoral process, and all such matters will remain deferred until the situation normalises, the political environment is restored and a future decision is taken by the party.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir were close to his heart and pledged to visit every district of the region as part of the party’s election campaign ahead of the 2026 AJK Legislative Assembly polls.

The remarks came during a meeting with PPP AJK President Chaudhry Yasin and General Secretary PPP AJK and Prime Minister AJK Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, who briefed the party chairman on preparations for the upcoming elections. Bilawal said the PPP would continue to stand alongside the people of AJK and work for the resolution of their issues.

The PPP chairman directed the AJK leadership to accelerate public outreach during the election campaign and ensure that the party’s manifesto reaches every voter across the region. Meanwhile, according to Geo News, former AJK prime minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas on Thursday announced his decision to join the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP).

The announcement came after a meeting with IPP President Abdul Aleem Khan and State Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Awn Choudhary.IPP chief and federal minister Aleem Khan welcomed Tanveer Ilyas into the party by presenting him with the IPP party muffler during the meeting.