No-confidence vote against AJK PM Anwarul-Haq scheduled for 3pm today

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly will vote today (Monday) on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul-Haq.

The special session, scheduled for 3pm, will be chaired by Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar. The resolution seeking Haq’s removal was submitted to the assembly secretariat on Friday.

The PPP has nominated Faisal Rathore for the top slot. Rathore also enjoys the support of the PML-N, which has backed the motion but chosen not to join the government.

Security has been tightened around the Assembly Secretariat, Ministers’ Block and Prime Minister’s Secretariat. Entry is restricted to lawmakers and secretariat staff, while media personnel will be allowed only with official passes. All members will enter the House together.

The PPP has moved to consolidate its position in the region following President Asif Ali Zardari’s political roadmap unveiled last month.

Read: Bilawal says PPP in a position to form government in AJK

The PPP formally moved a no-confidence motion against AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq last week and nominated Faisal Rathore for the top slot, submitting the resolution with the required signatures.

Under assembly rules, the motion must be placed on the list of business within three to seven days, after which the speaker is constitutionally bound to set a voting date. Once the date is fixed, the session cannot be adjourned until the vote is held.

Political activity in Islamabad also intensified ahead of the vote, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari holding a series of meetings to discuss the expected change in AJK and the proposed power-sharing formula. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and senior PML-N leaders also attended the consultations.

Read More: PPP, PML-N at odds over AJK govt term

Although the PML-N signed the no-confidence motion, the party has decided not to support the PPP’s nominee for prime minister and will instead sit on the opposition benches, positioning itself for the July 2026 polls.

With the PML-N’s backing, the PPP-led camp’s strength in the 52-member AJK Assembly has reportedly risen to the high 30s, well above the simple majority needed to oust Haq.

Prime Minister Haq, meanwhile, has refused to resign, saying he will face the vote on the floor of the House. He has continued official meetings at his residence and dismissed speculation about stepping down.