PPP submits no-confidence motion against AJK PM Anwarul Haq

Muzaffarabad (Web Desk): The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has initiated a no-confidence motion against Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, putting forward Faisal Rathore as its nominee for the post.

Senior party leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf asserted that the PPP enjoys sufficient support among assembly members and expressed confidence in its ability to take over the government in AJK.

Rathore, who hails from Haveli district, comes from a political family associated with the PPP.

The motion, bearing the signatures of the assembly members, has been submitted to the assembly secretary, who will promptly share copies with the speaker and all legislators. Once filed, the motion must be included in the assembly’s agenda within three to seven days.

Following its inclusion, the speaker is constitutionally required under Article 18 to set a date for the vote.

After the voting date is announced, the assembly session cannot be delayed. Should the motion fail, no similar motion can be presented for the next six months. 

The motion requires the support of 27 members to secure a simple majority, but with backing from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the PPP claims it initially had 36 votes in its favour, which sources say have now increased to 37.

If the no-confidence motion succeeds, the process to elect a new prime minister will commence immediately.

The AJK Legislative Assembly comprises a total of 53 members; however, one Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member, Muhammad Iqbal, is currently residing in the United Kingdom and will not be able to vote, reducing the effective strength of the house to 52 members.

The current party composition in the assembly is as follows: PPP holds 17 seats, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has 9 seats, the Forward Block has 10, PTI has 5, while the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Party and the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference hold one seat each.

Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq was elected as AJK Prime Minister on April 20, 2023, and has been in office for over two and a half years. His election was facilitated through a coalition of PPP, PML-N, dissident PTI members, and the Muslim Conference.