The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Friday formally submitted a no-confidence motion against Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq.
Speaking to journalists earlier, PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said the party makes all decisions after “thorough internal consultations”.
He confirmed that the PPP will move a no-confidence motion against the AJK prime minister, adding that the region holds a “special place” in the party’s heart.
“Considering the situation in Kashmir, we hope this decision proves beneficial,” Ashraf said, adding, “Our leadership has taken this step for the welfare of the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.”
The PPP moved to consolidate its government in the autonomous region shortly after President Asif Ali Zardari revealed the political strategy last month.
The party bolstered its strength in the Legislative Assembly when 10 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmakers joined the PPP on October 26 during a meeting with President Zardari’s sister, Faryal Talpur, at Zardari House in Islamabad.
Among those who joined the PPP were Muhammad Hussain, Chaudhry Yasir, Chaudhry Muhammad Akhlaq, Chaudhry Arshad, Chaudhry Muhammad Rasheed, Zafar Iqbal Malik, Faheem Akhtar Rabbani, Abdul Majid Khan, Muhammad Akbar Ibrahim, and Asim Sharif Butt.
Later, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) also tendered its support for the no-confidence motion, but decided against joining the government’s fold.
According to sources, the PML-N agreed to support the move on the condition that early elections would be held in the region.
The PML-N sources added that its ministers would resign and that the party would sit on the opposition benches following the vote.
The no-confidence motion requires the backing of 27 lawmakers for a simple majority, but with PML-N’s support, the PPP claimed to have secured 36 members initially, a number that has since risen to 37, according to sources.
The Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari-led party also nominated Faisal Rathore as its candidate for the position of AJK premier.
Faisal Mumtaz Rathore contested his first election from LA-17 (Haveli Kahuta) in 2006. He was first elected as a member of the AJK Legislative Assembly in 2011 on a PPP ticket and served in Chaudhry Abdul Majeed’s cabinet as Minister for Auqaf and Minister for Electricity. In 2016, he was arrested in a political case but was later acquitted.
On March 23, 2017, he was appointed General Secretary of PPP Azad Kashmir, a position he continues to hold. He was re-elected to the AJK Legislative Assembly in the 2021 elections and played an active role in the opposition.
In 2023, Faisal Rathore joined Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq’s coalition government as Minister for Local Government and Rural Development. He also heads the government’s negotiation committee tasked with dialogue with the Awami Action Committee.