Resentment in AJK govt

Published May 11, 2004

MUZAFFARABAD, May 10: At least three lawmakers who sided with Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat during the recent crisis in the ruling Muslim Conference party are stated to have developed grievances against the premier for want of "proper adjustment" , it was reliably learnt here on Monday.

According to insiders, the politicians dissatisfied with the premier are Minister for Agriculture Mallick Mohammad Nawaz, former parliamentary secretary for education Mohammad Yasin Gulshan and MLA Raja Mohammad Naseer.

Mallick Nawaz was inducted in the cabinet along with Chaudhry Aziz, Chaudhry Tariq Farooq and Raja Abdul Qayyum Khan in February last year. Except for Raja Qayyum, the rest were reportedly among a group of eight who had resolved to make political decisions jointly.

However, when finance minister Shah Ghulam Qadir, revenue minister Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, industries minister Masood Khalid and transport minister Hafiz Hamid Raza submitted their resignations to MC supreme head Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan two months back, Mr Nawaz and Mr Aziz did not follow them, despite speculations to this effect, and supported the prime minister.

The recent allotment of additional portfolios to two cabinet members has, however, caused resentment among Mallick Nawaz and Yasin Gulshan. Mr Gulshan resigned from his office after the education department had been allotted to Mr Aziz. He told newsmen that during the crisis the PM had promised him elevation as minister but that commitment was not honoured.

According to sources, the PM summoned Mr Gulshan in Kotli on Sunday where he was asked to withdraw his resignation. However, Mr Gulshan refused, telling the PM that he would support the government but would not take his resignation back, the sources said.

Similarly, sources said, Mallick Nawaz was also disappointed that the PM had allotted the finance ministry to Raja Nisar Ahmed Khan although the latter already possessed the prized portfolios of local government, rural development, law and parliamentary affairs.

"Mallick Nawaz is under tremendous pressure from his friends and relatives to quit if he is not allotted any suitable portfolio," sources claimed, adding that these feelings had been conveyed to the PM.

Both Mallick Nawaz and Raja Nisar belong to district Kotli. Sources said Raja Naseer was also unhappy because he was publicly pledged a berth in the cabinet which now seemed to be a distant dream for him.

Mr Naseer had been a vocal supporter of the PM, and during the crisis, the PM had announced at a public meeting in his constituency that he would be "hoisting AJK flag on his vehicle within the next ten days".

But, sources said, as the powers that be have barred the PM from expanding the cabinet, he finds himself in a fix. Perhaps it was why the PM said at a public meeting that crisis in Azad Kashmir was not over yet. "I don't have any complaint against the opposition but against my own people," he was quoted by local newspapers on Monday.

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