The party claims to have mustered the backing of 30 lawmakers including many from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan Peoples Party, Azad Jammu and Kashmir chapter, has secured a simple majority in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly after gaining the support of several lawmakers, positioning itself to form the next government in AJK.
According to Express News, five ministers from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) 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 serving in the AJK cabinet and have now pledged their support to the PPP in the upcoming government formation.
In addition, four other members — Majid Khan, Asim Sharif Butt, Akbar Ibrahim, and Faheem Rabbani — also met Talpur and expressed their support for the PPP, bringing the total number of lawmakers backing the party to 27.
Sources said that Faryal Talpur is leading the PPP’s efforts to finalise the formation of the new government, with key decisions expected within the next 24 hours.
Meanwhile, members of the Barrister Sultan Mehmood group also met Talpur and announced their support for the PPP in a no-confidence 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 has organised a grand dinner at Sindh House in Islamabad which was attended by PPP’s parliamentary party members, representatives of refugee constituencies, and members of the Barrister Sultan group.
According to PPP leaders, the party now enjoys the backing of more than 30 assembly members, including five from the Barrister Sultan group and five from refugee seats. Support of two members is reportedly being kept confidential.
Party insiders said the dinner served as a show of strength, demonstrating the PPP’s numerical advantage and signaling its readiness to form the next government in AJK.
Read More: No removal or resignation of AJK PM, Islamabad clarifies amid sacking reports
Soon after the recent unrest in AJK, rumours began 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 journalists in the federal capital, Chaudhry said there was no truth to claims regarding the AJK premier’s resignation or dismissal, adding that neither such a move nor any related discussion was under consideration. He reiterated that no development had taken place in this regard.
