At least ten legislators, all elected on PTI tickets in the July 2021 general elections in AJK, announced on Sunday that they were joining Pakistan People's Party after meeting PPP senior leader Faryal Talpur at Zardari House in Islamabad.
This move has significantly increased the likelihood of the PPP becoming the ruling party. Among them were five lawmakers from the camp of AJK President Barrister Sultan Mahmood — including his son Yasir Sultan, brother-in-law Chaudhry Arshad, Chaudhry Akhlaque from the Mirpur division, Chaudhry Muhammad Rasheed from the Muzaffarabad division, and Sardar Muhammad Hussain from the Poonch division.
According to senior PPP leader Azhar Iqbal Baralvi, Sabiha Siddique, a female member of the president’s camp, did not immediately join the party due to reservations over the possible nomination of Haq’s successor.
Later, Zafar Iqbal Malik from Kotli also joined the PPP separately. Following in their footsteps, Abdul Majid Khan, Chaudhry Akbar Ibrahim, and Asim Sharif Butt from the refugee constituencies, as well as Sardar Faheem Rabbani from Poonch division, met Talpur jointly to announce their inclusion in the PPP.
All ten of these legislators are part of Anwarul Haq’s cabinet. Among them, only the three refugee legislators had earlier announced their resignations from the cabinet, though no official notification regarding their resignation had been issued.
PPP lawmakers from AJK had also met party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari yesterday to mull options for the removal of the incumbent PM Chaudhry Anwarul Haq. The forward block’s joining has made the PPP the single largest party in the AJK Legislative Assembly.
In the 53-member assembly, the PPP now enjoys the support of 27 members, followed by the PML-N with nine, PTI with five, and two regional parties with one member each. The group of PTI renegades led by Haq has been reduced to ten members.
Majeed said the PPP parliamentary party held two meetings on Saturday — the first with Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, where it was unanimously decided to oust Mr Anwarul Haq. Later, the team met with President Asif Ali Zardari to inform him of their decision.
Majeed claimed that more legislators were likely to join the PPP within the next two to three days. Meanwhile, the PML-N has announced that it will sit on the opposition benches.
The political crisis worsens in Azad Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly after the resignations of several key minister of the government as well as the formation of forward block in Prime Minister Ch Anwarul Haq-led government.
Will the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir resign or face a no-confidence motion? Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq is expected to make final decision in the next 48 hours. PPP Azad Kashmir leadership claims that their numbers are sufficient for in-house changes.
However, final decision will be announced by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during next few days.
The total number of members in the Azad Kashmir Assembly is 52, the PPP needs the support of 27 to form the government.
The PPP is also in constant contact with 20 members of the Forward Bloc to complete the numbers game. Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry of the Forward Bloc has demanded the Speaker's seat from the PPP.
Yesterday, an important meeting of the parliamentary party of the PPP Azad Kashmir was held at the President's Office. It was decided that the PPP will form its own government in Azad Kashmir. Consultations were also held on the names for the new Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir. Chaudhry Yasin, Chaudhry Latif Akbar, Sardar Yaqoob are strong candidates...
Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry's group has demanded the post of Speaker of the Azad Kashmir Assembly from the PPP.
Sources say that Faryal Talpur is expected to arrive at Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry's house today. Faryal Talpur will also meet the refugee members of the assembly today.
Earlier, President Asif Ali Zardari has taken Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on board over the formation of the Pakistan Peoples Party-led government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). According to details surfaced on Sunday, President Zardari held a telephonic conversation with PM Shehbaz. PM Shehbaz has assigned the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) AJK Affairs Committee to hold talks with the PPP. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has been appointed as the head of the committee, while PM's adviser Rana Sanaullah and Amir Muqam are its members.
Before opening negotiations with the PPP, the committee began consultations with the PML-N’s AJK chapter. Earlier, a meeting of the PPP AJK parliamentary group was held at the President House under the chairmanship of President Zardari. During the session, he approved the move to bring a no-confidence motion against AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq.
The PPP sources claimed that the required numbers have been secured to table the motion. The names of Chaudhry Yasin, Chaudhry Yaqoob and Chaudhry Latif Akbar are under consideration for the office of the new AJK prime minister.
PPP AJK Information Secretary Sardar Javed Ayub told the media that the party is set to form a government in the region. Sardar Tanveer Ilyas said that, since the PML-N is in power at the federal level, there should be no objection to its inclusion in the AJK cabinet.
Incumbent AJK prime minister has begun consultations with his close associates over the prevailing political situation. A final decision on whether to resign or face the no-confidence motion is expected within the next two to three days.