MUZAFFARABAD: As many as 15 more ministers, including a female, were added to the one-member cabinet of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Thursday, three weeks after the swearing-in of Prime Minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi.

The new ministers, all directly elected lawmakers from the AJK territory and two from the Pakistan based refugees, were sworn in by President Barrister Sultan Mahmood at a ceremony held in the President House.

Prime Minister Niazi was also present on the occasion.

Mr Niazi was sworn in on Aug 5 along with Sardar Tanvir Ilyas as ‘the most senior minister’ but without any portfolio.

Though the cabinet formation had ended the nerve-racking hiatus in the completion of government, immediately there was no announcement about the portfolios of ministers.

An official handout said that portfolios would be announced shortly.

Sources privy to the developments told Dawn that many cabinet members were “moving heaven and earth to get favourite and lucrative portfolios” even though PM Niazi had made a decision in this regard “in consultation with the parent party leadership”.

Those who got the ministerial berth on Thursday were Chaudhry Azhar Sadiq, Chaudhry Arshad Hussain, Chaudhry Ali Shan Soni, Chaudhry Akhlaque Hussain, Malik Zafar Iqbal and Nisar Ansar Abdali from Mirpur division, Sardar Mohammad Hussain, Faheem Akhtar Rabbani, Shahida Saghir and Sardar Mir Akbar from Poonch division, Khawaja Farooq Ahmed, Deevan Ali Chughtai and Chaudhry Mohammad Rashid from Muzaffarabad division and Abdul Majid Khan and Mohammad Akmal Sargala from the Pakistan based refugees.

Eight of them had remained cabinet members in the past as well while the rest had assumed this office for the first time.

Pertinently, due to a constitutional restriction, imposed by the 13th Amendment enacted by the PML-N dominated previous assembly in 2018, only 30pc of the total membership of the house - 16 lawmakers – can be appointed as ministers.

It was why the PTI government had to appoint another two lawmakers from the Pakistan based refugees – Chaudhry Maqbool Ahmed and Chaudhry Muhammad Akbar – as advisers to the government.

Previously, the advisers and special assistants to the government were appointed on the basis of a subordinate legislation, mostly with rank and status equivalent to the minister. However, the PML-N government incorporated these offices in the constitution through the 13th Amendment, restricting their number to two each but without mentioning their rank and status.

The amendment is also silent on their oath.

After the formation of the cabinet, all 17 PTI lawmakers directly elected from AJK territory have been adjusted against one or the other office, including president, prime minister, speaker and ministers.

Due to the elevation of Mr Mahmood as president, by-election will be held in his constituency.

Of the nine PTI lawmakers elected from Pakistan, so far five have been adjusted - one as deputy speaker, two as cabinet members and two as advisers to the government.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2021