MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi met Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday and offered to tender his resignation in the wake of a no-confidence motion tabled against him by 25 members of the parliamentary party, his office said in a press release.

“Prime Minister Niazi apprised the chairman of the factual position and also told him that he considered the (AJK’s) rule as a trust by him and he was ready to tender resignation from his office,” according to the press release.

On Tuesday, in a resolution for a vote of no confidence against Mr Niazi, as many as 25 PTI lawmakers had alleged that the prime minister had lost the confidence of the parliamentary party for his “failure to implement the party manifesto and highlight the Kashmir issue, apart from bad governance, nepotism and violation of merit”.

According to the press release, while Mr Niazi expressed his gratitude to Mr Imran Khan for reposing his trust in him and extending full cooperation over the past eight months, the latter “held the allegations against him as false”.

25 PTI members of parliamentary party tabled no-trust motion against Niazi, alleging he has failed to implement the party’s manifesto

“Chairman Khan has constituted a committee headed by senior vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi to sort out the matter and come up with a decision by tomorrow in the light of facts,” it added.

However, minister for finance Abdul Majid Khan, one of the signatories of the no-trust motion, played down the claims (in the press release) and said that chairman Khan had taken this decision after due consideration of the situation in AJK.

The no-confidence motion was not moved on any verbal advice but after the party’s secretary general Asad Umar gave the go-ahead for Mr Niazi’s replacement with Sardar Tanveer Ilyas in black and white following the consent of the chairman, he said.

“I don’t think it (decision) will be reversed.”

The finance minister said that PM Niazi had been picked by chairman Khan for the prestigious office despite the fact that he didn’t have a single supporter in the parliamentary party, except himself.

“But alas he could not prove himself as the chief executive of the entire territory. Instead he showered favours only to his own constituency,” he said.

In reply to a question about the committee under Mr Qureshi, the finance minister said it might have been formed to appease him.

However, he claimed, the chairman had told Mr Niazi to follow the party’s line.

In reply to a question, he said if Mr Niazi tendered resignation, the party would get Mr Ilyas elected in fresh election for the leader of the house within a week.

A source privy to the developments on both sides told Dawn from Islamabad late on Wednesday that the situation was fluid and consultations and discussions were going on to arrive at a conclusion.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2022