MUZAFFARABAD — A dramatic political shift is underway in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) as ten legislators elected on PTI tickets in 2021 formally joined the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), significantly enhancing the party’s prospects of installing its premier in the region, according to “Dawn News”.
The move, announced Sunday, comes after PPP lawmakers from AJK met with Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari to discuss the potential removal of incumbent Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq. With the latest defections, the PPP has emerged as the largest party in the 53-member AJK Legislative Assembly, commanding the support of 27 lawmakers. By contrast, the PML-N holds nine seats, PTI five, and two regional parties one each. Haq’s remaining PTI-aligned bloc has dwindled to ten members.
“Yes, we are now in a comfortable position to send the incumbent Prime Minister packing and replace him with a new leader from our ranks,” PPP lawmaker Chaudhry Qasim Majeed told Dawn.com.
Among the defectors were five lawmakers from the camp of AJK President Barrister Sultan Mahmood, including his son Yasir Sultan, brother-in-law Chaudhry Arshad, and representatives from Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, and Poonch divisions. Other legislators joining the PPP included Zafar Iqbal Malik from Kotli, and refugee constituency members Abdul Majid Khan, Chaudhry Akbar Ibrahim, Asim Sharif Butt, and Sardar Faheem Rabbani.
All ten legislators were members of Haq’s cabinet, though three refugee representatives had previously resigned. PPP’s regional president, Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin, did not participate in the Islamabad meetings with Faryal Talpur.
Majeed confirmed that the PPP parliamentary party held meetings with both Bilawal and President Zardari on Saturday, deciding unanimously to oust Haq, and suggested that more defections may follow in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the PML-N declared it would remain in opposition, with regional president Shah Ghulam Qadir affirming they would not participate in the government formation process. Haq, according to close aide Chaudhry Azhar Sadiq, has no plans to dissolve the assembly, stating that the constitution allows it but insisting he will face any no-confidence motion brought by the opposition.
To signal their strength, all PPP members were scheduled to gather at Sindh House in Islamabad Sunday evening.
