MUZAFFARABAD/ISLAMABAD, Dec 11: Azad Kashmir Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan dissolved his cabinet on Thursday and within hours came up with a new cabinet of 20 members.

An eight-member ‘forward bloc’ within the ruling Muslim Conference is planning to table a no-confidence motion in the AJK Legislative Assembly against the prime minister and only one member of the ‘bloc’ has been retained in the new cabinet.

The earlier cabinet had 26 members; 19 ministers, six advisers and a special assistant and the new one has 15 ministers, four advisers and a special assistant.

Sardar Attique signed the summaries at the Kashmir House in Islamabad, but formal notifications were issued by the services and general administration department in Muzaffarabad.

Terming the cabinet dissolution a “routine matter”, official spokesman Chaudhry Tariq Farooq had earlier told newsmen that the new cabinet would be formed in a couple of days and there were “cent percent chances” of return of rebels.

The cabinet was, however, reconstituted within five hours of its dissolution.

Public Accounts Committee chairman Chaudhry Mohammad Siddique Batli, believed to be a member of the ‘forward bloc’, was included in the new cabinet.

Mr Batli, who is currently in Saudi Arabia as part of an official Haj delegation, was allotted the portfolios of Azad Kashmir Logging and Sawmills Corporation and Azad Kashmir Mineral and Industrial Development Corporation.

On Wednesday evening, the prime minister had convened an “emergency meeting on security-related issues”, but six ministers and two advisers belonging to the ‘forward bloc’ stayed away.

The new ministers are: Malick Mohammad Nawaz (transport and communications), Chaudhry Mohammad Yousaf (industries, Mangla Dam affairs), Raja Naseer Ahmed Khan (local government and rural development), Abdur Rashid Abbasi (law, justice and parliamentary affairs), Chaudhry Rukhsar Ahmed (electricity), Maj (retd) Munsif Dad Khan (education-colleges), Ali Shan Soni (housing and physical planning), Mirza Shafique Jaral (forests), Abdul Qayyum Niazi (food), Chaudhry Mohammad Akbar Ibrahim (rehabilitation and development authorities), Ghulam Murtaza Gillani (agriculture, livestock, irrigation, MCDP), Dr Najeeb Naqi (health and population welfare), Hafiz Hamid Raza (Zakat, Ushr, Auqaf) and Sardar Naeem Khan (revenue, evacuee property and stamps).

The former ministers who have been left out are: Raja Nisar Ahmed Khan (finance, education-colleges), Col (retd) Raja Mohammad Nasim (communication and works), Chaudhry Mohammad Aziz (education-schools), Ms Noreen Arif (information) and Sardar Yaqoob Khan (physical planning and housing) and advisers Abdul Majid Khan and Mahmood Riaz.

Through another notification, the prime minister has reappointed former advisers with same portfolios. They are Chaudhry Tariq Farooq (planning and development), Raja Mohammad Yasin (AJK Hydro Electric Board), Shamim Malick (Social Welfare) and Ms Nahid Tariq (Small Industries). Former special assistant Chaudhry Mohammad Ismail has also been reappointed.

For the first time in history of AJK portfolios of new ministers have been announced before they have taken oath.