The party says it has gathered support from 30 lawmakers, including many members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party.
ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan People’s Party, Azad Jammu and Kashmir chapter, secured a simple majority in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly after securing the support of several lawmakers, positioning itself to form the next government in AJK.
According to Express News, five Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ministers met PPP women’s wing president Faryal Talpur in Islamabad and announced their decision to join the PPP. The ministers – Chaudhry Rasheed, Yasir Sultan, Chaudhry Arshad, Chaudhry Ikhlaq and Sardar Muhammad Hussain – were previously part of the AJK cabinet and have now pledged their support to the PPP in the next government formation.
Besides, four other members – Majid Khan, Asim Sharif Butt, Akbar Ibrahim and Faheem Rabbani – also met Talpur and expressed their support for the PPP, taking the total number of legislators supporting the party to 27.
Sources said Faryal Talpur is leading the PPP’s efforts to finalize the formation of the new government, with key decisions expected in the next 24 hours.
Meanwhile, members of the Barrister Sultan Mehmood group also met Talpur and announced their support for the PPP in a censorship move against the current setup. The meeting was attended by Yasir Sultan, Sardar Muhammad Hussain, Chaudhry Arshad, Chaudhry Rasheed and Chaudhry Ikhlaq.
To consolidate the alliance, Talpur organized a grand dinner at Sindh House in Islamabad, which was attended by members of the PPP parliamentary party, representatives of refugee constituencies and members of the Barrister Sultan group.
According to PPP leaders, the party now enjoys the support of more than 30 assembly members, including five from the Barrister Sultan group and five from the refugee seats. The support of two members would be kept confidential.
Party members said the dinner served as a show of force, demonstrating the PPP’s numerical advantage and signaling its willingness to form AJK’s next government.
Learn more: No impeachment or resignation of AJK PM, says Islamabad amid reports of dismissals
Soon after the recent unrest in AJK, rumors started circulating about the possible removal of Prime Minister Anwarul Haq. However, these speculations were put to rest when Federal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry refuted the reports.
Speaking to reporters in the federal capital, Chaudhry said there was no truth in the allegations regarding the resignation or dismissal of the AJK Prime Minister, adding that neither such a move nor any related discussions were under consideration. He reiterated that no development had taken place in this regard.
