DIAMER/LAHORE: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday urged the federal government to complete the Diamer-Bhasha Dam at the earliest, describing the project as a national necessity.
“It is not only Diamer people’s right, but also Pakistan’s need,” he said while addressing an election rally in Diamer. Bilawal criticised India’s violation of Indus Waters Treaty, saying that the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was using water as a tool of terrorism. “No other project is more important than Diamer-Bhasha Dam,” he said, urging Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to show “Shehbaz speed” in the completion of the project at the earliest.
Addressing the participants, Bilawal urged voters in Gilgit-Baltistan to elect a PPP chief minister in the June 7 elections, saying the party continued to enjoy public trust. He claimed the PPP had secured the highest number of votes in the previous GB elections but was deprived of nine seats.
Highlighting the PPP government’s record in Sindh, he said the province had expanded healthcare services following the 18th Amendment. “We have built a network of hospitals in Sindh and kept medicines, operations and transplants free,” Bilawal said, adding that the PPP would make similar healthcare facilities available in GB.
The PPP chairman also spoke about foreign military bases in the past, saying that facilities previously used by other countries had been closed under a PPP-led government. In an apparent reference to jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, Bilawal criticised assertions that the former premier had said “absolutely not” to foreign military bases, saying the bases had been closed beforehand.
Meanwhile, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Governor Syed Mehdi Shah has predicted the emergence of a coalition government following the June 7 GB Assembly elections, asserting that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) remains a significant political force in the region and cannot be sidelined.
Speaking to The News, Mehdi Shah, who also served as the first chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan after the region was granted autonomous status in 2009, dismissed suggestions that the PPP could be marginalised in GB or elsewhere in the country. He noted that the party is part of the governing structure at the federal level and holds the presidency. Rejecting concerns about possible electoral rigging, the governor said such allegations were unfounded, adding that the PPP enjoys deep roots in Gilgit-Baltistan and remains well-positioned in the electoral contest.
According to the final electoral list, 403 candidates are contesting 24 directly elected seats of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly. The PPPP has fielded 23 candidates, followed by PMLN with 22. Other major contenders include the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (15 candidates), Pakistan Muslim League (11), Islami Tehreek Pakistan and Pakistan Nazriyati Party (10 each), JUI (9), Majlis Wahdatul-Muslimeen (7) and Jamaat-e-Islami and MQM (6 each).
The June 7 vote will be the fourth Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly election since the region’s current political framework was introduced in 2009. Reserved seats for women and technocrats will be allocated according to each party’s final strength in the assembly.
Political observers are closely watching whether the PMLN or PPP emerges as the leading force, although Gilgit-Baltistan’s electoral history has often mirrored political trends at the federal level.
The current election campaign has witnessed intense political activity across Gilgit, Baltistan and Diamer divisions, with major parties conducting extensive voter outreach efforts ahead of polling. The elections are being held after a delay caused by harsh winter conditions and accessibility challenges across the mountainous region.
In a related development, PPPP spokesperson Shazia Marri alleged that political opponents, fearing defeat in the upcoming Gilgit-Baltistan elections, were attempting pre-poll rigging and efforts to influence the electoral process.
In a statement, she claimed that the rising popularity of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had unsettled rival parties, leading to attempts to manipulate the electoral environment. She also called on the Chief Election Commissioner to ensure electoral neutrality under Article 218 of the Constitution, and demanded free, fair and transparent elections in Gilgit-Baltistan. Marri further questioned the presence of Punjab Police personnel in the region during the election period, urging immediate action on any complaints regarding misuse of official resources.
Marri said complaints of interference and irregularities were emerging from several constituencies, alleging that administrative officers were being transferred and voter lists altered in some areas. Expressing concern over the alleged use of state machinery, she stressed that the mandate of Gilgit-Baltistan’s people must be protected and questioned the participation of federal ministers in campaign activities.
