Political disorder in AJK exacerbates as prime ministerial election delayed fourth time

MUZAFFARABAD, April 17 (SABAH):  The political crisis in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Monday deepened further as the session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly to elect new prime minister postponed for the fourth time.

The session summoned to elect new AJK prime minister, after Sardar Tanveer Illyas Khan was disqualified by the AJK High Court on contempt charges, was postponed after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) failed to finalise the name for the prime minister slot. The legislative assembly session was scheduled to commence at 11:00 AM on Monday, but it faced a significant delay of four and a half hours, with the session beginning at 3:30 PM. As part of the opening ceremony, Quran recitation and Naat Sharif were performed, following which Deputy Speaker Chaudhry Riaz adjourned the session till 11:00 AM today (Tuesday).

On the other hand, PTI leader Khawaja Farooq Ahmed while talking to media persons claimed that he has 27 members, and will follow Imran Khan’s directions and action will be taken against disgruntled members.

Meanwhile, Chaudhry Rasheed, the prime ministerial candidate nominated by PTI forward bloc, visited the opposition leaders chamber where opposition leader Chaudhry Latif Akbar and former prime minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan welcomed him.

According to media reports, PPP and PML-N have also supported the PTI forward block candidate after which Chaudhry Rasheed must be elected as the prime minister, this is the reason why the government is using delay tactics.

Meanwhile the situation for the election of new prime minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir has become more complex. The situation is changing with the passage of every moment after the disqualifcation of Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan as prime minister AJK.

President Azad Jammu and Kashmir Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry has formed forward block while committing rebellion agaisnt Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan in Azad kashmir.

Meanwhile Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has announced to field its own candidate for the election of prime minister AJK. The politcal crsis in Azad Kashmir still persists as ruling party PTI and oppositon alliance have not made final decision regarding the name of new prime minister.

PML-N Azad Kashmir President Shah Ghulam Qadir informed the media that our alliance with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was under the power sharing formula, adding that if PM canddiate would have been from PPP then we were bound to support him but PPP did not take PML-N into confidence while settling mattters with forward block of PTI nor the forward block has contacted us, adding that if this attitude will persists then PML-N along with its 7 votes will be free to make its own decision. He said that PML-N could field its own canddiate for the slot of PM AJK.

After reaction of PML-N coming forth, on behlaf of forward block on late night, President AJK Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry has started negotiations with PML-N so that they could be pursued to support the forward block candidate for the post of PM AJK, Chaudhry Rasheed.