MUZAFFARABAD: The process of government formation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has entered a decisive phase, with the formal announcement of the new prime minister expected later today.
According to sources, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is likely to announce the party’s nominee for the AJK premiership today, with Chaudhry Latif Akbar and Chaudhry Yaseen emerging as strong contenders.
Sources said that a no-confidence motion will be tabled against Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq if he refuses to resign.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has announced its support for the PPP’s motion but decided not to become part of the new government.
The AJK Legislative Assembly currently has 52 members following the resignation of one member.
A simple majority requires the support of 27 lawmakers. The PPP has 17 members, while the PML-N holds nine.
Ten members from Barrister Sultan’s group and the Forward Bloc have extended their support to the PPP, bringing the party’s total strength to 36 — well above the required majority of 27.
Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq’s group currently comprises 10 members, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) AJK has four, while the Muslim Conference and Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party (JKPP) hold one seat each.
Overseas seat member Muhammad Iqbal has already resigned. If the no-confidence motion fails, it cannot be moved again for six months.
‘Joint No-Confidence Motion Sign of Political Maturity’
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has said that the joint decision by the PML-N and PPP to support the no-confidence motion against the AJK prime minister reflects political maturity and a commitment to addressing the region’s issues.
He noted that both parties are allies in the federal government and had announced a day earlier that they would jointly move a no-confidence motion against Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq.
Ahsan Iqbal chaired a meeting of the PML-N’s “political coordination committee” at the Ministry of Planning on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s instructions.
Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Amir Muqam, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, PML-N AJK President Shah Ghulam Qadir, who led his parliamentary delegation, and other leaders attended the meeting.
Speaking to the media, Ahsan Iqbal said, “This is a major sign of democratic maturity that two key stakeholders have agreed to move a no-confidence motion for better governance and political stability in Kashmir.”
He said that it was also a mark of maturity that one party would form the government while the other would assume the role of opposition.
“We will also demand that the new government conduct free and fair elections as soon as possible to establish a stable administration that can lead Kashmir toward development,” he said.
Iqbal said that while his party had been part of the previous coalition, it was a “minor stakeholder,” and its parliamentary group had repeatedly called for separation from the current government due to its “poor performance.”
He said other political groups and stakeholders had supported the PML-N’s stance that the coalition setup was not addressing AJK’s problems.
In response to a journalist’s question, Amir Muqam said that the agreement signed earlier this month with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) would be honoured regardless of which party forms the government.
He also stated that the PML-N’s decision to sit in opposition in the AJK Assembly would not affect its relations with the PPP.
Earlier, PML-N delegation led by Ahsan Iqbal met with President Asif Ali Zardari to discuss the prospects of PPP-led government formation AJK.
Both parties have increased pressure on the incumbent AJK prime minister to either resign honorably or face a no-confidence vote, as he appears to have lost his parliamentary majority.
In light of the current situation, sources said, the prime minister has been advised to “resign with dignity,” as he no longer commands majority support.
He reportedly has three options: dissolve the assembly to prevent the opposition from forming a government, resign voluntarily, or face the no-confidence motion.