MUZAFFARABAD: Cha­­u­d­hry Anwarul Haq was sent packing on Monday after a vote of no-confidence against him sailed through with 36 votes, paving the way for PPP’s Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore to take over as the fourth prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in the last four years.

The vote was held in a Legislative Assembly session convened specifically for the purpose, with Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar presiding, after Chaudhry Qasim Majeed, one of the movers, read out the no-trust resolution.

Aside from the speaker, all 28 PPP lawmakers — including PTI ‘forward bloc’ members who had recently joined the PPP — were in attendance. Of the nine PML-N members, only Ms Nisara Abbasi was absent.

On the opposition benches, only two of the five PTI legislators — regional president Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi and Leader of the Opposition Khawaja Farooq Ahmed — were present.

PM Haq entered the hall a little later, accompanied by his four ‘forward bloc’ cabinet colleagues.

Three other members of the bloc, including Deputy Speaker Chaudhry Riaz, as well as the opposition Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party’s lone member, stayed away. Muslim Conference (MC) president Sardar Attique Khan briefly attended the session, but left before voting began.

Mr Haq delivered his speech and then left the house along with his four colleagues, before speeches by three other leaders. Voting then took place through a show of hands.

A total of 36 members from the PPP and PML-N raised their hands in favour of the no-trust resolution, while the two opposition members voted against it. The speaker then declared the motion had carried and announced the election of Mr Rathore as the new leader of the house.

The 47-year-old prime minister-elect, dressed in a dark grey kameez shalwar and a black coat, shook hands with or embraced lawmakers in the front row — including the two lone PTI legislators — as he proceeded to take the leader of the house’s seat.

In his speech at the close of the session, Mr Rathore thanked Allah “for placing a heavy responsibility on the shoulders of a political worker,” adding that divine responsibility always came with the strength to fulfil it.

He pledged administrative reforms, financial discipline, and civil society engagement, promising results within six to seven months.

He acknowledged that outgoing PM Chaudhry Anwarul Haq had, “in a rare gesture,” welcomed the incoming premier as he departed. However, he remarked that the former premier’s “pen would move only after an earthquake-like situation befell the region” — a veiled reference to the massive JAAC-led agitations that resulted in several deaths.

Conceding that “we too made some wrong decisions,” he said the JAAC was a “reality that must be recognised.”

He pledged to address public issues strictly within available resources. “Some matters could have been resolved earlier but were delayed. As prime minister, I pledge that there will be no delay from my pen,” he vowed.

Rejecting claims of privilege, he said his father owned just one house, which he sold to fund his campaign later. He invited asset scrutiny even after his term.

Describing the current political environment — marked by protest movements and weakened leadership — as a major challenge, he stressed the need to strengthen AJK’s relationship with Pakistan.

The newly elected prime minister said that the public would see change not only in faces but in the system itself.

The new premier will take oath at the President’s House on Tuesday (today).

Earlier, it was believed that the oath would be administered by President Barrister Sultan Mahmood.

However, reports suggested that the president may not be able to travel to Muzaffarabad owing to his health issues, and that the LA Speaker would perform this duty on his behalf.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2025