Azad Kashmir: No-confidence motion against Anwarul Haq succeeds

Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s political landscape shifted on Monday after a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Anwarul Haq succeeded in the legislative assembly, paving the way for the election of Pakistan Peoples Party’s Faisal Rathore as the region’s new prime minister.

The session, chaired by Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar, saw PPP legislator Chaudhry Qasim Majeed move the no-confidence resolution. The motion received 36 votes in favour and only two against, according to assembly officials.

Following the successful vote, PPP’s Faisal Mumtaz Rathore was elected prime minister of Azad Kashmir.

The PPP had put forward Faisal Rathore’s name as their nominee for the position of the prime minister of the territory.

Last month, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and PPP unanimously decided to move a no-confidence motion against the AJK PM to form a new government.

While talking to the media, PPP’s Qamar Zaman Kaira said that that the PPP and PML-N unanimously decided to move a no-confidence motion against the AJK prime minister and form a new strong setup and hold free, fair and transparent elections in future.

Moreover, PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal said that the incumbent AJK government had failed to resolve the problems of Kashmiri people, adding the decision to form a new government was solely meant for good governance and to address the issues of the people.

He said that the PML-N will support the PPP to form the government through ousting the incumbent AJK prime minister through a no-confidence motion.

The AJK Legislative Assembly has 52 members, and to achieve a simple majority, a party requires the support of 27 members.