Rana Sanaullah says his party will only support no confidence motion but will not become a part of the new government
The coalition partners in federal government, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party, have decided to table a no-confidence motion against Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Anwarul Haq.
The announcement was made by senior PML-N and PPP leaders Rana Sanaullah, Ahsan Iqbal, Qamar Zaman Kaira, and Raja Pervez Ashraf after a meeting held at the President House in Islamabad. They said both parties had reached a consensus that the AJK government had failed to deliver, making a change in leadership through a no-confidence motion “inevitable.”
Kaira revealed that while his party had invited the PML-N to join the government, the latter declined the offer. However, the PML-N agreed to support the move to oust Anwarul Haq. Sanaullah said PML-N will only join hands with PPP in removing the AJK premier through no confidence motion but it will not become a part of the new government.
Also Read: PPP secures simple majority to form govt in AJK
The development follows a recent meeting between PPP Women’s Wing President Faryal Talpur and members of the PTI forward bloc in the AJK Legislative Assembly. Around 10 PTI members, who were also ministers in Anwarul Haq’s cabinet, met Talpur and announced their decision to join the PPP.
With the support of these 10 lawmakers, the PPP has reportedly secured a simple majority of 27 members in the 53-member assembly. Those who met Talpur included Chaudhry Rasheed, Yasir Sultan, Chaudhry Arshad, Chaudhry Ikhlaq, Sardar Muhammad Hussain, Majid Khan, Asim Sharif Butt, Akbar Ibrahim, and Faheem Rabbani.
To consolidate its position, Talpur hosted a grand dinner at Sindh House in Islamabad, attended by PPP parliamentary members, representatives of refugee constituencies, and members of the Barrister Sultan group.
Party insiders claim that the PPP now commands the support of over 30 assembly members, including five from the Barrister Sultan group and five from refugee seats, while the backing of two members is being kept confidential.
Although the PPP had already obtained a majority, it initially hesitated to move the motion independently. Subsequently, the party reached out to the PML-N, which showed initial reluctance but later agreed to support the move against the AJK premier.
Earlier, rumours of Prime Minister Anwarul Haq’s removal had surfaced amid political unrest in AJK. However, Federal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry dismissed those reports, saying there was no truth to claims of the AJK premier’s resignation or dismissal. He had clarified that no such decision or discussion was under consideration at the federal level.
