AJK’s youngest PM — a profile

MUZAFFARABAD: Newly-elected Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore is the son of former AJK prime minister, the late Raja Mumtaz Hussain Rathore.

Born on April 11, 1978, in Rawalpindi, Faisal Rathore comes from a prominent political family with deep roots in the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). At the time of his birth, his mother, Begum Farhat Rathore, was a member of the AJK Legislative Assembly, while his father was serving as senior minister in the Azad Kashmir government. His mother also served as President of the PPP Women’s Wing. His family is counted among the founding political households of the PPP in Azad Kashmir.

Faisal Rathore received his early education in Rawalpindi and completed his graduation from the University of the Punjab. His father Mumtaz Rathore served as senior minister after the 1975 elections, became AJK prime minister in 1990, served as the leader of the opposition in 1991, speaker of the Legislative Assembly in 1996, and again leader of the opposition in 1998. After his death, his elder son Masood Mumtaz Rathore was elected to the AJK Legislative Assembly in 1999 for the remainder of the term.

Faisal Rathore contested his first election from LA-17 Haveli Kahuta in 2006. He was first elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly in 2011 on a PPP ticket and served as Minister for Electricity in Chaudhry Abdul Majeed’s cabinet. He was appointed Secretary General of PPP Azad Kashmir on March 23, 2017, a position he continues to hold. He was re-elected as an MLA in the 2021 elections and played an active role in the opposition.

In 2023, Faisal Rathore joined the coalition government of Chaudhry Anwarul Haq as Minister for Local Government and Rural Development. He also led the government’s negotiation committee with the Awami Action Committee. Known for his conciliatory, soft-spoken and non-controversial personality, he enjoys a good reputation among political and military circles, the Awami Action Committee, and the public.

Faisal Rathore also has experience in Pakistan’s national media and hosted a regular programme on a private news channel. He is regarded as a trusted confidant of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and senior PPP leader Faryal Talpur. Representing the party’s ideological and middle-class segment, Faisal Rathore has now been elected as the 16th — and currently the youngest — Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.