MUZAFFARABAD: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), issued a stern warning on Wednesday, stating that any rigging in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections would trigger a “countdown” from the federal government. Speaking at a rally in Muzaffarabad, Bilawal stressed the importance of ensuring that the mandate of the people is decided via the ballot box, not through coercion or violence. The first phase of voting took place on July 27, with subsequent phases scheduled for August 2 (Muzaffarabad division) and August 10 (Poonch division), as per the Chief Election Commissioner of AJK. The PPP and PML-N have exchanged sharp accusations, with the PPP alleging electoral rigging by the PML-N, which the latter has denied. The opposition has criticized the conduct of the elections, questioning whether the state’s interests or the PML-N’s priorities were being served.