The party claims to have garnered the support of 30 lawmakers, including many from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Peoples Party, Azad Jammu and Kashmir branch, has secured a simple majority in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly after getting the support of several legislators who have positioned themselves to form the next government in AJK.
According to Express News, five ministers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) met PPP Women’s Wing President Faryal Talpur in Islamabad and announced their decision to join PPP. The ministers – Chaudhry Rasheed, Yasir Sultan, Chaudhry Arshad, Chaudhry Ikhlaq and Sardar Muhammad Hussain – previously served in the AJK cabinet and have now pledged their support to the PPP in the upcoming government formation.
Additionally, four other members – Majid Khan, Asim Sharif Butt, Akbar Ibrahim and Faheem Rabbani – also met Talpur and expressed their support for the PPP, bringing the total number of legislators supporting the party to 27.
Sources said Faryal Talpur is leading the PPP’s efforts to finalize the formation of the new government, with key decisions expected within the next 24 hours.
Meanwhile, members of the Barrister Sultan Mehmood group also met Talpur and announced their support for the PPP in a move of no confidence against the current setup. The meeting was attended by Yasir Sultan, Sardar Muhammad Hussain, Chaudhry Arshad, Chaudhry Rasheed and Chaudhry Ikhlaq.
To consolidate the alliance, Talpur has organized a grand dinner at Sindh House in Islamabad, which was attended by PPP’s parliamentary party members, representatives of refugee circles and members of the Barrister Sultan group.
According to PPP leaders, the party now enjoys the support of more than 30 assembly members, including five from the Barrister Sultan group and five from refugee seats. Support from two members is reportedly kept confidential.
Party insiders said the dinner served as a show of strength that demonstrated the PPP’s numerical advantage and signaled its readiness to form the next government in AJK.
Read more: No removal or resignation of AJK PM, Islamabad clarifies amid sacking reports
Soon after the recent unrest in AJK, rumors started circulating about the possible removal of Prime Minister Anwarul Haq. However, these speculations were put to rest when the Minister for Federal Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, refuted the reports.
Speaking to reporters in the federal capital, Chaudhry said there was no truth in allegations of the AJK chief minister’s resignation or dismissal, adding that neither such a move nor any related discussion was under consideration. He reiterated that there had been no development in this regard.
