Prosperity of AJK’s people among Centre’s priorities, Shehbaz tells PM-elect Faisal Rathore
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday assured newly elected Azad Jammu and Kashmir premier Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore that the prosperity and progress of the region were among the federal government’s top priorities.
Their telephonic conversation came a day after PPP’s Rathore was announced as the new AJK prime minister after Chaudhry Anwarul Haq was ousted through a vote of no-confidence (VoNC) in the region’s legislative assembly.
In a phone call, PM Shehbaz conveyed his heartfelt congratulations to Rathore on being elected as the new premier of AJK, state-run PTV News reported.
“The progress and prosperity of AJK’s people are among the federal government’s priorities,” the prime minister was quoted as saying.
He further assured Rathore that the Centre was determined to work with the AJK government for the “welfare, economic development, prosperity, and peace and security” of the region’s public.
PM Shehbaz pledged that the federal government will provide “every possible cooperation” to the AJK set-up. He also expressed his best wishes to the PM-elect for his tenure.
Rathore is AJK’s fourth premier in the last four years, and the 16th since 1975 when the parliamentary form of government was introduced in the region.
The no-confidence vote against Chaudhry had sailed through on Monday with 36 votes from PPP and PML-N members, while two PTI opposition members voted against it.
Under the AJK Constitution, a note of no-confidence against the sitting prime minister automatically counts as a vote in favour of the lawmaker proposed as his successor in the same resolution.
Rathore will take the oath as AJK’s new prime minister at the President’s House in Muzaffarabad today.
Previously, it was reported that the oath would be administered by President Barrister Sultan Mahmood.
However, reports suggested that the president may not be able to travel to the regional capital owing to his health issues, and that AJK Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar would perform this duty on his behalf.
