PML-N to back PPP’s no-trust move in AJK

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) has announced it will support Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir Anwarul Haq but will not be part of the government and will sit on the opposition benches.

The decision was announced during the joint press talk by the PMLN and PPP leaders including Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination Rana Sanaullah Khan, Minister for Development and Planning Ahsan Iqbal and senior PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira outside the Aiwan-e-Sadr after the meeting of the PMLN delegation with President Asif Ali Zardari at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Monday. 

Prior of the Press talk, meeting of the PMLN consultative committee held the meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari on the matters of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Talking with the newsmen after the meeting at Aiwan-e-Sadar, Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination Rana Sanaullah Khan said that the PMLN’s parliamentary group had decided not to express confidence in the incumbent Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government and would support the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in the no-confidence motion.

Rana Sanaullah clarified that the PMLN would not become part of the new government in AJK, adding that free and fair elections would be held after the completion of the current assembly’s term.

Federal Minister for Planning and Development and senior PMLN leader Ahsan Iqbal said the party believed the current AJK setup had failed to fulfill its responsibilities. He confirmed that both the PPP and PMLN had reached an understanding to move forward with the no-confidence motion. “The PMLN will not join the government and will play its democratic role from the opposition benches,” he said, adding that the PPP, if it secured a majority, would have the mandate to form the government.

Speaking on the occasion, PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said the present AJK government had become a source of problems rather than solutions. He noted that the PMLN had decided to sit in opposition while both parties were committed to ensuring political stability and addressing the region’s challenges. “We have respected each other’s decisions,” Kaira added, emphasising that the joint effort aimed to restore good governance and bring stability to Azad Kashmir.

Qamar Zaman Kaira said the party wanted an elected and representative government to be formed in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) through consensus among lawmakers. He noted that the incumbent AJK government had failed to address public issues, adding that there was agreement among political stakeholders that a more effective and responsive government was needed in the region.

Earlier, delegations from the PPP and the PMLN held an important meeting at Aiwan-e-Sadr to deliberate upon the political situation in AJK and matters related to government formation. The PMLN delegation included Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Sanaullah, Amir Muqam, and other senior leaders, while the PPP side was led by Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and comprised Faryal Talpur, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, and Qamar Zaman Kaira.

Meanwhile, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq said if someone’s numbers game is complete, why they are not bringing a no-confidence motion. He said, “I will continue to perform my duties as long as I have the authority.”

Speaking informally to journalists, Chaudhry Anwarul Haq said that he will hold a press conference soon in which he will discuss in detail about the complete political situation. He said that no-confidence is the beauty of democracy, and his value will be known to all when he will be no more in power.

Chaudhry Anwarul Haq said that he cannot set fire to the house in which he was born for his own sake. Chaudhry Anwarul Haq further said, “I am the only prime minister who filled the treasury, not emptied it.”

On the other hand, sources said that the final round of changing the Prime Minister in Azad Kashmir is likely to begin. According to sources, Azad Kashmir Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq is likely to resign tonight or tomorrow.