MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed on Tuesday sacked two members of his cabinet belonging to the Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM), a day after he had given them an “ultimatum of 72 hours” to dissociate themselves from Altaf Hussain.

“In exercise of the powers conferred on him under section 14 (3) of the AJK Interim Constitution Act, 1974, the Prime Minister of the Azad Government of the State of Jammu and Kashmir has sacked Mohammad Tahir Khokhar, minister for transport, and Mohammad Salim Butt, minister for sports, youth and culture, from their offices with immediate effect,” said a notification issued by the Services and General Administration Department.

A copy of the notification obtained by Dawn

Mr Khokhar and Mr Butt were elected as AJK Legislative Assembly members in July 2011 elections for the second consecutive term from the constituencies of Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan, mainly Karachi.

The MQM has been an ally of the Peoples Party led government in AJK from the inception of the sitting legislature. In October last year, their party had announced that its members would quit the AJK government, following their colleagues in Sindh, in protest against PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s outburst against Altaf.

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The announcement made by MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar notwithstanding, resignations of the MQM ministers in AJK remained a mystery for a long time, as neither the government accepted nor publicly rejected the same.

The duo did not surrender the perks and privileges admissible to cabinet members for a single day. But while Khokhar stopped taking interest in the affairs of his transport ministry, his colleague continued to organise different events and programmes to promote sports and Kashmiri culture.

On Monday, the AJK Premier made a scathing criticism of MQM chief for his “provocative and anti-state” remarks in an August 1 speech to US-based party workers and gave an “ultimatum of 72 hours” to the two MQM ministers in his cabinet “to dissociate themselves from Mr Hussain”.

Majeed had maintained that the ‘venomous propaganda’ by Altaf against the armed forces and other national institutions amounted to commission of treason, which no patriotic Pakistani could tolerate.

While the people of India held Kashmir are fighting Indian rule with green Pakistani flags in their hands, “continuance of MQM members in the AJK government would be tantamount to rubbing salt into the wounds of freedom seeking Kashmiris,” Majeed had said.

However, in response, MQM parliamentary leader Khokhar had taken strong exception to the statement of AJK premier, making it clear that the PPP had no right to dictate to the MQM ministers about their political affiliation.

“This is a childish rather (sic) cheap move on the part of the AJK government… They have resorted to it to please some institutions and to cover up their corruption,” Khokhar said.

“The PM should do what’s in his competence, instead of giving ultimatums to us. We have already tendered resignations,” Khokhar had said.

Meanwhile, it may be pertinent to mention here that the AJK government has called a joint sitting of the AJK Assembly and the AJK Council here on Friday to express condemnation of Mr Hussain’s remarks.

A day before the joint sitting, protest rallies would also be held at all district headquarters of AJK on Thursday against the Britain based MQM leader on the call of Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, according to a decision of the AJK government.

AJK Minister for Finance, Chaudhry Latif Akbar, has also submitted a resolution against Altaf in the Legislative Assembly secretariat to be discussed in Friday’s joint sitting.

— Abrar Haider also contributed to the reporting of this story