Raja Faisal Rathore Elected New AJK Prime Minister

News Desk 

Muzaffarabad: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly on Monday voted out Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq through a no-confidence motion, electing Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Raja Faisal Rathore as the new premier.

The motion, backed by 36 lawmakers from the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), secured a comfortable majority, with only two members opposing it. 

Rathore, the PPP’s nominee, was subsequently elected with the same tally of 36 votes, becoming the 16th prime minister of AJK — and the fourth to hold the office during the current assembly’s tenure. 

Previous premiers in this cycle include Abdul Qayyum Khan and Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan.

Monday’s session, presided over by Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar, saw attendance from PPP, PML-N and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers, including the Leader of the Opposition Khawaja Farooq Ahmad.

Strict security controls were in place across key government buildings, including the Assembly Secretariat and the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.

Haq Bows Out With Sharp Remarks

Addressing the assembly before his removal, Haq said no single individual could be blamed for what he described as the deterioration of the constitution and administrative system in the region. He noted that his cabinet members also shared responsibility for governance setbacks.

Haq expressed gratitude to the assembly for providing him “political life,” but reiterated his firm stance on Kashmir-related matters, warning that “no formula for the division of Kashmir could succeed” under his leadership. He described his approval of the abolition of reserved seats for refugees as “political death.”

“The political system can only survive if our borders are protected,” he said. “Without Pakistan’s armed forces, nothing will remain.”

Reflecting on the unfolding political shifts, Haq claimed he would have supported Rathore had elections been held. He also revealed that pressure had been exerted on him to dissolve the assembly by February 15 earlier this year, an option he refused.

PPP Moves to Consolidate Control

Rathore’s election comes amid the PPP’s strategic push to strengthen its position in AJK, following political directions unveiled last month by President Asif Ali Zardari. The party expanded its numbers in the assembly after 10 PTI lawmakers defected and joined the PPP on October 26 during a meeting with Zardari’s sister, Faryal Talpur, in Islamabad.

Those who switched sides included 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.

Although the PML-N supported the no-confidence motion, it opted not to join the government.

Rathore now takes charge at a time of heightened political maneuvering in the region, with expectations focused on restoring stability and navigating the ongoing power realignments in the AJK political landscape.