Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari Clarifies Remarks on ‘State,’ Says He Was Not Referring to the Establishment
ISLAMABAD: Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has clarified his recent remarks about the “state,” saying he was referring to state institutions and decisions taken in the national interest, not the establishment.
Speaking on a television program, Bilawal said his statement had been misunderstood and emphasized that the PPP has always stood by the state when decisions are made in the country’s national interest.
“My reference to the state was never meant to imply the establishment. I was talking about state decisions taken in the national interest. The Pakistan Peoples Party has always stood with the state on every decision made for the national interest,” he said.
Bilawal stressed that, given the prevailing regional circumstances, Pakistan needs unity and national consensus to effectively safeguard its interests.
Expressing reservations over the recent elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), he said that completely transparent elections would have been preferable under the current circumstances. He claimed that a PPP worker was killed and serious objections had been raised regarding the electoral process in certain constituencies.
He alleged that nearly 30 polling stations in the constituency of PPP candidate Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin were taken over and that polling agents were expelled in an attempt to influence the voting process.
Bilawal said he had actively campaigned in AJK but alleged that the participation of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and federal ministers in election campaigning constituted a violation of the election code of conduct. He further claimed that, following Gilgit-Baltistan, attempts were made to “steal seats” in Mirpur Division, which his party would not tolerate.
He vowed that the PPP would pursue all legal and constitutional avenues to secure justice for its affected candidates and reclaim disputed seats through the judicial process.
Addressing the current situation in AJK, Bilawal revealed that he had proposed the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission through a formal letter to impartially examine the concerns of all stakeholders. He maintained that anyone found to have taken the law into their own hands should be held accountable.
"میں نے ریاست کی بات کی، ریاست سے مراد اسٹیبلشمنٹ نہیں تھا،" بلاول بھٹو زرداری#ARYNews #11thHour #BilawalBhuttoZardari pic.twitter.com/QlqEsVqB0g
— ARY NEWS (@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL) July 28, 2026
He also appealed to protesters to postpone their demonstrations and urged the government to exercise restraint, expressing regret that his proposal had not received a positive response from any side.
Bilawal said that ordinary citizens, police personnel, and members of the security forces were sacrificing their lives amid the ongoing unrest, underscoring the need for dialogue and reconciliation rather than blame.
He added that allegations regarding the use of weapons during protests or the exploitation of civilians should be investigated by an independent commission. He warned that if the allegations made by federal ministers are not based on facts, they could harm not only the Kashmir cause but also the interests of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
