MUZAFFARABAD: Chaudhry Yasir Sultan and Chaudhry Amir Yasin, the scions of two notable political families of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), took oath as members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) on Monday, more than a month after their victory in by-elections.

Mr Sultan, 46, had returned from LA-3, Mirpur-III after the seat had fallen vacant due to elevation of his father and the then PTI president Barrister Sultan Mahmood as AJK president, and Mr Yasin, 34, got elected from LA-12, Kotli-V after the seat was vacated by his father Chaudhry Mohammad Yasin, the regional PPP president.

The by-polls were held on Oct 11 and Mr Amir had contested from behind the bars as he and his elder sibling had courted arrest on July 27 after being implicated in the murder of two PTI workers on the day of general elections. Their bail was confirmed on Nov 10.

The oath was administered to both legislators by Speaker Chaudhry Anwarul Haq in his chamber at about 11:30am. The brief ceremony was attended by Information Minister Sardar Faheem Rabbani, Communications and Works Minister Chaudhry Azhar Sadiq and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Trade and Industry Chaudhry Maqbool Gujjar, MLA from the ruling PTI and leader of the opposition Chaudhry Latif Akbar from the PPP apart from a sizeable number of activists of both parties.

Following completion of the 53-member house, the strength of PTI and PPP has risen to 32 and 12 members, respectively. The PML-N is the second largest opposition group with seven members while the Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party and Muslim Conference, which are allies of the ruling PTI, have one lawmaker each.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2021