MUZAFFARABAD: Amid growing political shifts in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq is expected to resign from office tonight or tomorrow (Tuesday), sources confirmed on Monday.
According to reports, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has consolidated a majority in the AJK Legislative Assembly after ten Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers defected to its ranks, raising its total strength from 17 to 27, enough to form the government without support from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Sources indicated that following his resignation, Anwarul Haq and his allies are likely to sit on the opposition benches, marking a significant shift in the political landscape of the region. They added that the prime minister had completed consultations regarding his decision to step down, signalling that the transition of power is nearing completion.
Speaking informally with journalists, Anwarul Haq maintained that he would continue performing his duties until formally relieved.
“If anyone has the required numbers, they should bring a no-confidence motion,” he said. “A no-confidence motion is the beauty of democracy. People will realise my worth only after I’m gone.”
The prime minister said he would soon hold a press conference to elaborate on his decision, adding, “I cannot set fire to the very house in which I was born.”
Sources within the AJK cabinet revealed that several ministers from Anwarul Haq’s government have decided to back the PPP’s candidate for the new leader of the house. Meanwhile, the PML-N, currently a coalition partner of the PPP at the federal level—has decided to sit in the opposition.
Under AJK’s constitution, a new leader of the house must be elected within 14 days of a prime minister’s resignation. If the assembly is already in session, the election is held immediately; otherwise, the AJK president must summon the session within the constitutional timeframe.
This would mark the fourth change in the prime ministership during the current assembly’s tenure. The constitution also allows the sitting premier to dissolve the assembly at any time, provided no no-confidence motion has been filed against him. In such a case, the president must issue a dissolution order within 48 hours—or the assembly stands automatically dissolved, triggering new elections within 90 days.
The AJK Legislative Assembly comprises 53 members, with 27 votes required for a simple majority. At present, the PPP holds 17 seats, PML-N nine, PTI five, while the Muslim Conference and Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Party have one each. A 20-member forward bloc is also active in the assembly, giving the PPP a decisive edge in the ongoing political realignment.
