AJK elections Sharjeel Memon alleges ‘Form 47 Plus’ mandate

AJK elections will be remembered in history as “Form 47 Plus”, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said, accusing the PML-N of securing what he described as a manipulated mandate.

Responding to statements by PML-N leaders Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, the Pakistan Peoples Party leader alleged that the PML-N had again obtained a “charitable mandate” through what he called historic rigging.

Memon said voters had rejected the PML-N in the 2024 general elections and again in the 2026 Azad Kashmir elections. He argued that while a government could take office with what he described as a disputed mandate, it could not build genuine popularity without public support.

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He urged Nawaz Sharif to examine the political developments in Azad Kashmir before criticising the PPP.

Memon said the PPP had consistently supported democratic principles, public mandates and political tolerance. He added that raising concerns about alleged electoral irregularities remained a legitimate part of democratic politics.

The minister said the PPP did not seek hostility with any political party and had never advocated political confrontation. He urged political parties to ensure that electoral disputes did not turn political opposition into personal or institutional hostility.

Memon also called for any serious concerns about the electoral process to undergo transparent and impartial scrutiny.

He rejected Maryam Nawaz’s comparison between the elections in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, saying the two electoral processes should not be treated as identical.

The PPP, he said, recognised the people’s mandate while maintaining its reservations about aspects of the electoral process. He argued that political parties could raise such concerns without facing accusations of undermining democracy.

Memon reiterated that the PPP would continue to advocate for the rights of all federating units, stronger democratic institutions and respect for the sanctity of the vote.