MUZAFFARABAD: In a dramatic turn of events, Azad Jammu and Kashmir region got its new prime minister as the Legislative Assembly elected its Speaker Chaudhry Anwarul Haq for the coveted slot.
The election held in the late hours on Thursday apparently ended a weeklong deadlock in the wake of the disqualification of ex-premier Sardar Tanveer Ilyas. Haq of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ‘forward bloc’ was elected unopposed with a comfortable majority of 31 votes in the 52-strong Legislative Assembly in the wee hours of Thursday. Interested candidates were given only 15 minutes time to file nomination papers after which the voting started.
Haq received the support of 31 Members Legislative Assembly (MLAs), including 12 from the PTI ‘forward bloc’, 12 of the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and seven of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The election of the prime minister was caused by the disqualification of Sardar Tanvir Ilyas of the PTI by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir High Court on April 11. Later, the region’s supreme court also upheld the decision.
Initially, the session was summoned at 2 pm Wednesday but it got delayed amid hectic political manoeuvring. Consequently, a new election schedule was issued by the speaker late in the night and the proceedings started at 12:40 am Thursday. The House comprises 52 lawmakers, out of whom the PTI has 31 members, followed by the PPP (12) and the PML-N (7). Nonetheless, the ‘forward bloc’ reduced the PTI’s strength to just 19.
It is to mention here that no one submitted nomination papers against Haq. Interestingly, he was among the three lawmakers whom PTI chief Imran Khan had shortlisted and asked the parliamentary party to build consensus on one name to become AJK premier. However, to the PTI’s astonishment, his name emerged as a joint candidate of the combined opposition and a 12-member PTI ‘forward bloc’. In a statement, PTI regional president Ilyas maintained that the party had not named anyone as its candidate for the PM slot.
“Today, I have come to know about the machinations of Mr Haq. On the one hand, he was assuring the PTI top leadership of his efforts to salvage the party and on the other hand, he was striking a deal with the establishment,” Ilyas said.
