Staff Report
Amid ongoing efforts to form its government in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) further strengthened its position as it gained the support of several Legislative Assembly members from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) forward bloc on Sunday.
This development came ahead of a meeting between the PPP and PML-N’s top leadership scheduled for Monday, in which they are expected to finalise decisions regarding the formation of the AJK government.
The PPP’s strength in the AJK Legislative Assembly rose from 17 to 27 after 10 PTI lawmakers joined its ranks.
The Bilawal Bhutto-led party, a key ally of the PML-N in the Centre, achieved the required number to form its government in the autonomous region within a day after President Asif Ali Zardari announced the potential political move.
The PTI legislators announced their decision to join the PPP in a meeting at Zardari House, Islamabad, with Faryal Talpur — president of the PPP Women’s Wing and sister of President Zardari — and senior leader Chaudhry Riaz.
Among those who joined the PPP were Muhammad Hussain, Chaudhry Yasir, Chaudhry Muhammad Akhlaq, Chaudhry Arshad, Chaudhry Muhammad Rasheed, AJK Higher Education Minister Zafar Iqbal Malik, Faheem Akhtar Rabbani, Abdul Majid Khan, Muhammad Akbar Ibrahim, and Asim Sharif Butt.
PPP leaders welcomed the new members, pledging to continue their struggle for the political and economic rights of the people of AJK.
Sources closer to the PPP told Geo News that the Bilawal Bhutto-led party was confident of forming its government in the AJK without the PML-N’s support.
According to party insiders, five of the new entrants belong to the Barrister Sultan group, three hold refugee seats, while the affiliations of two others have been kept confidential.
A dinner reception is scheduled tonight at Sindh House, Islamabad, hosted by Faryal Talpur in honour of the new lawmakers.
The PML-N’s AJK leadership has already announced that its legislators will not support any party in the formation of the new government and intend to sit on the opposition benches.
For the unversed, the AJK Legislative Assembly has 53 members, and a simple majority requires 27 votes to table and pass a no-confidence motion if the incumbent premier refuses to step down.
Presently, PPP holds 17 seats, PML-N nine, and PTI five; the Muslim Conference and Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party each have one member. A twenty-member forward bloc also exists inside the assembly.
Earlier today, it was learnt that AJK PM Chaudhry Anwarul Haq began consultations and expected to make a significant decision within 48 hours amid an expected in-house change that could occur either through resignation or a no-confidence motion.
It also emerged that Bilawal would formally announce the government formation plan tomorrow (Monday) and also expected to unveil the party’s nominee for the AJK premiership.
The sources also revealed that the party is considering Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin and Chaudhry Latif Akbar among the names for the AJK premiership.
