PPP in a commanding position to form govt in AJK

 Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is now in a commanding position to form its government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir as several lawmakers vowed to support the party in the planned in-house change.

The PPP gained the support of 28 members of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly to ensure the success of its no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq.

In the 52-member house, the PPP already holds 17 seats. On Sunday, six ministers from the Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry group met PPP leader Faryal Talpur at Zardari House and announced their backing for the no-confidence move.

Members of Barrister Sultan group, Muhammad Hussain, Chaudhry Ikhlaq, Chaudhry Arshad, Yasir Sultan, Malik Zafar, and Chaudhry Muhammad Rasheed , assured Faryal Talpur, in the presence of senior PPP leader Chaudhry Riaz, that they would vote in favour of the no-confidence motion and support the PPP’s candidate for prime minister.

Moreover, four ministers from the forward bloc , Abdul Majeed Khan, Chaudhry Akbar Ibrahim, Asim Butt, and Faheem Rabbani — also pledged unconditional support for PPP’s government formation after meeting Faryal Talpur. Former information minister Pir Mazhar Saeed Shah had already announced his intention to back the motion.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) AJK President Shah Ghulam Qadir told Dunya News that his party has no interest in joining the government and will sit on the opposition benches. PML-N currently holds nine seats in the 52-member assembly.

Shah Ghulam Qadir added that it remains undecided whether Sardar Atiq Ahmed Khan of the Muslim Conference and Hassan Ibrahim of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Party will support the PPP or join the opposition.

Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq has begun consulting close aides on whether to resign or face the no-confidence motion.

However, sources indicate that Chaudhry Anwarul Haq is unlikely to step down. If he does not resign within the next 24 hours, the PPP plans to submit the no-confidence motion in the AJK Legislative Assembly Secretariat to oust the prime minister.