PTI distances itself from no-confidence motion and PM election in AJK

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has announced that it will dissociate itself from the opposition alliance’s no-confidence motion against Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s prime minister and the subsequent process of electing a new prime minister, calling the move a “political game” aimed at undermining public representation.

Top PTI leaders attended a high-level meeting at the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad on Tuesday to discuss the political situation. The party decided to remain detached from censorship and the electoral process, but vowed to continue representing the public in the Assembly and give a tough time to the new government.

After the meeting, PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja said, “A political game is being played in Azad Kashmir, where the real representatives of the people are already present. Today, you see before you the real political leaders of Kashmir.”

He recalled that previous attempts had been made to “create artificial systems” in the region. “Earlier, our 29 MLAs were dissolved and our members were declared independent,” he said, adding that the PTI was never registered as a political party in Kashmir.

“The faces behind this system are the same powerful people who are always behind everything,” Raja said. “The people and the state now find themselves on opposing sides, and a gulf of lies has opened between them. This is a battle between truth and deception.”

Raja stressed that the PTI would “continue to come before the people’s court and defend its right to representation.” He added: “This is not a political change; it is a game. The PML-N and other parties are only engaged in a struggle for power. The PTI will stay with the people and away from those who betray them.”

He asserted that “Imran Khan still lives in the hearts of the people”, adding: “Replacing one face with another is not a political victory.”

Senior PTI leader Khawaja Farooq Ahmed said that while the party may be at odds with the federal government, “our hearts beat for the state of Pakistan”. He promised that the PTI would perform equally well in the upcoming elections.

“The entire party stands with its founding president,” he said. “As the leader of the opposition, I declare that this assembly has lost its credibility. A neutral election commission must be formed immediately to hold general elections. They want to install their own version of Sikandar Sultan Raja to rig the elections.”

Former AJK Prime Minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi said a “hybrid system” was imposed in Azad Kashmir. “The people protested vigorously and made their demands heard. The PTI led the fight to end this hybrid order,” he said. “Now, as Prime Minister Anwarul Haq fails, they are trying to bring back the same outdated system. We will remain detached from this entire process and demand the creation of an independent election commission in Azad Kashmir.”