MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kash­mir (AJK) President Sardar Mohammad Yaqoob Khan on Saturday administered the oath to nine members of the new AJK cabinet.

The cabinet has been described as the smallest council of ministers over the past two decades.

Until Friday evening, Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider was said to have finalised 11 names for his cabinet — nine of them from AJK and two from Pakistan, which is home to 12 constituencies of Kashmiri refugees.

However, the notification issued at about 12 noon on Saturday had only nine names, all belonging to AJK. The other two names were dropped at the eleventh hour.

Those who were sworn in are Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, Sardar Farooq Sikandar, Raja Nisar Ahmed Khan, Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas, Sardar Mir Akbar Khan, Chaudhry Mohammad Aziz, Dr Najeeb Naqi Khan, Ms Noreen Arif and Syed Iftikhar Ali Gillani.

Through a separate notification, Chaudhry Tariq Farooq was designated as ‘senior minister’.

The cabinet members were not immediately allotted portfolios.

The swearing-in ceremony, held at the President’s Office, was attended among others by Prime Minister Haider, Speaker Shah Ghulam Qadir, Deputy Speaker Farooq Ahmed Tahir, lawmakers belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Jamaat-i-Islami and senior government officials.

At least four prominent PML-N lawmakers, who were believed to be expecting a place in the cabinet, were conspicuous by their absence on the occasion. They attended the ruling parliamentary party meeting earlier in the day.

An interesting situation developed during the administration of oath when President Khan missed one important sentence about the responsibilities of ministers from the contents of the oath, which was instantly pointed out to him by Mr Minhas.

In a lighter vein, the president remarked: “Actually I could not believe that you have become ministers.”

This evoked laughter from the audience, but the oath was administered afresh to the ministers.

Later, at its first informal meeting presided over by Prime Minister Haider, the cabinet expressed gratitude to the people of AJK for giving a two-thirds majority to the PML-N, which it said was reflection of their faith in Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Kashmir policy and his vision for AJK’s development.

The cabinet assured Prime Minister Haider of its full support to his commitment to the welfare of the people of the state.

The cabinet condemned the killing of innocent civilians and brutal acts of terrorism in India-held Kashmir, particularly after the killing of Burhan Wani.

The cabinet members reaffirmed the commitment of the AJK government to utilise its full energies and resources for the liberation of the held territory.

“This forum appreciates the people of occupied Kashmir for showing love, affection and commitment with Pakistan by raising and waving Pakistani flags despite massive presence of Indian forces and assures them that they are not alone in their struggle for freedom,” the cabinet said.

The cabinet urged the international community to press India to fulfil its pledges regarding the right to self-determination of Kashmiri people in accordance with the UNSC resolutions.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2016