MUZAFFARABAD: Seven members of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) cabinet, representing all three coalition partners, on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, claiming that the government was “united and organised” under his leadership.

“No confidence may be someone’s personal wish, but the government is united and organised, and has made development, austerity and good governance the only focus of its attention,” said senior minister Waqar Noor at a press conference along with six other colleagues including Ahmed Raza Qadri of PML-N, Faisal Mumtaz Rathore and Sardar Javaid Ayub of PPP and Abdul Majid Khan, Nisar Ansar Abdali and Chaudhry Akbar Ibrahim from the PTI renegades, who introduce themselves as ‘forward bloc’. Mr Noor also belongs to the PML-N.

They claimed that the government had resolved the issues of striking employees and was carrying out development in all constituencies without any discrimination.

The press conference was held in the wake of the hard-hitting statements of former AJK prime minister and senior PML-N leader Raja Farooq Haider against the present government.

Mr Haider had also claimed that the fourth change of the leader of the house was on the cards.

“Some people are trying to create a storm in a teacup through statements about the no-confidence motion… Mature political workers should not target institutions,” said Abdul Majid Khan on the occasion.

“Those who are in responsible positions should give careful statements. It should be clear to everyone that political threats will not stop the process of accountability,” he added, without naming anyone.

Mr Rathore, who is being tipped as a possible replacement of the sitting premier, also dismissed the news regarding the no-confidence saying,no such thing was under consideration.

Mr Rathore asserted that the wheel of construction and development had stopped during the previous two governments, “but over the past 11 months of the current government the development process had been in full swing.”

In his response on social media platform X, Mr Haider claimed that three of the seven ministers who had addressed the press conference would be among the signatories of the [likely] no confidence motion against PM Haq.

“Time will tell… Wait for the moment,” he wrote.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2024