ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari contacted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss the formation of a new government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
Sources said Zardari took Shehbaz into confidence over PPP’s decision to form the government, after which Shehbaz assigned the PML-N AJK Affairs Committee to hold talks with the PPP.
The PML-N committee, comprising Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Sanaullah, and Amir Muqam, has begun consultations with the AJK chapter of the party before formal negotiations with the PPP.
However, former AJK prime minister and PML-N parliamentary leader Raja Farooq Haider stated that the party will not be part of any government formation process and has decided to sit in the opposition. He stressed that this decision was final and would not be changed.
PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said the PML-N had not informed them officially about sitting in opposition, adding that if the PPP secures the required numbers, it will move forward to form the government.
Meanwhile, AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq has begun consultations on whether to resign or face a possible no-confidence motion, with an important decision expected within 48 hours.
The AJK Legislative Assembly has 52 members. The PPP needs 27 votes to form a government; it currently holds 17 seats. The PML-N has 9, PTI 4, and the Muslim Conference and Jammu Kashmir People’s Party have one seat each. A forward bloc of 20 members could play a decisive role.
If the PML-N supports the PPP, the combined strength would reach 26—just one short of a majority. However, PML-N AJK President Shah Ghulam Qadir has already announced that his party will sit in opposition, increasing the importance of forward bloc members.
It may be recalled that PM Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq has previously hinted at resigning if the required numbers for a no-confidence motion are met.
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