No-trust vote against AJK PM today

MUZAFFARABAD: The voting on no-confidence motion submitted against Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq will take place on Monday (today).

The special session of the Legislative Assembly will be presided over by Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar.

The no-confidence motion is being presented by Pakistan Peoples Party (Azad Kashmir) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

Strict security measures have been put in place at the Assembly Secretariat, Ministers Block and Prime Minister’s Secretariat. Only members of the assembly and employees of Assembly Secretariat will be allowed entry. Media representatives will be permitted only if they have been issued passes. All members of the assembly will enter the House together.

In the 2021 general elections in Azad Kashmir, PTI won 26 out of 45 constituencies. With six reserved seats, the party formed the government with the support of 32 members in 53-member House.

On 3 August 2023, the High Court cancelled registrations of PML (Nawaz), PPP and PTI with Azad Kashmir Election Commission for not adopting correct procedure. The PPP and PMLN had their registrations restored after completing required documentation.

However, PTI has not yet fulfilled the necessary requirements and therefore remains unregistered as a political party with the Election Commission.

Since its 32 members of assembly now hold status of independent members, 28 of them have joined the PPP and PMLN.

Members of the assembly, who were elected on PTI tickets in 2021, will not be subject to anti–floor-crossing law if they change their political allegiance.

In the history of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, seventh vote of no-confidence since 1975 has been tabled.

In 2021, PTI won the elections and formed the government. Imran Khan appointed Sardar Qayyum Niazi as the Prime Minister. Later upon Qayyum Niazi’s refusal to resign, PTI tabled a no-confidence motion in 2022. After its success, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas was elected Prime Minister. When Sardar Tanveer was disqualified in a contempt of court case, rebellion erupted within PTI.

On 22 April 2023, the then Speaker of Assembly Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq presided over the session and was elected Prime Minister with support of 48 assembly members. If the vote of no-confidence is approved, joint PPP candidate Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore will become the 16th Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir.