- Shah Ghulam Qadir says party won’t join any ‘unnatural or forced coalition,’ vowing ‘constructive opposition’
- Says party respects PPP’s right to a no-confidence motion, ruling out becoming part of any new govt
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has announced its withdrawal from the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government, declaring that it will now sit in the opposition benches and ending its coalition with the ruling alliance led by Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq.
Addressing a press conference, PML-N AJK President Shah Ghulam Qadir said his party respected the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) right to move a no-confidence motion but made it clear that the PML-N would not become part of any new government formed as a result.
“We will not support any unnatural or forced coalition,” Qadir asserted, adding that the party would now play the role of a constructive opposition in the assembly.
He warned that any member who defied the party’s official policy would face disciplinary action, and said the PML-N would remain active for the welfare of refugees and overseas Kashmiris.
Qadir stressed that a stable and representative government in AJK could only emerge through transparent general elections, adding that the party would launch a vigorous campaign under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif.
The AJK PML-N president also reiterated the party’s commitment to playing a positive role in resolving the region’s constitutional and political crisis.
Political backdrop
Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, a former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member, has been leading the AJK government since April 2023, following the disqualification of Sardar Tanveer Ilyas for contempt of court.
Haq, who had served as assembly speaker since August 2021, was elected unopposed as leader of the house after forming a 12-member ‘forward bloc’ within PTI and forging an alliance with the combined opposition, including PPP and PML-N lawmakers.
The PML-N’s decision to part ways comes in the wake of violent protests that rocked the region earlier this month, leaving at least nine people dead—including three police personnel — and over 100 injured during clashes between law enforcers and activists.
The unrest, centered in Muzaffarabad, had been triggered by the Awami Action Committee’s (AAC) 38-point charter of demands, which called for the abolition of 12 reserved seats for refugees and cutting “elite privileges.”
The crisis eased after the federal government and AAC reached an agreement on October 3, bringing an end to days of shutdowns and confrontation.
