MUZAFFARABAD: Putt­ing an end to the unusually protracted uncertainty over the name of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq’s successor to be mentioned in the resolution for a vote of no confidence against him, the PPP on Friday finally named party’s regional secretary general Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore as its candidate for the new Leader of the House in AJK Legislative Assembly.

Soon after the announcement of the name, a no-trust resolution, signed by 25 lawmakers — 23 from the PPP and two senior PML-N figures, was submitted in the assembly, while Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar summoned the Legislative Assembly to meet on Monday for vote.

Under Article 18 of the AJK Constitution, which governs the procedure for a no-confidence vote against the prime minister, the movers, who must constitute at least 25 per cent of the total assembly strength, are required to name a successor in the resolution.

Ever since the PPP was tipped to install its own loyalist as prime minister with support from the PML-N, speculation over Mr Haq’s likely successor had dominated political circles and social media for weeks. Among the names being considered were PPP’s regional president Chaudhry Mohammad Yasin, Legislative Assembly Speaker and senior-most parliamentarian Chaudhry Latif Akbar, and ex-president Haji Mohammad Yaqoob, who had also briefly served as premier.

No-trust resolution submitted; assembly session summoned on 17th

However, the 47-year-old Rathore, known for his close ties with the party’s central leadership, also remained a strong contender.

The PPP’s high command had delayed finalising a name, ostensibly due to the political priorities in Islamabad, where the ruling PML-N sought the PPP’s support to ensure smooth passage of the 27th Amendment.

On Friday, PPP lawmakers were advised by the leadership to reach Muzaffarabad, and the name of the new AJK premier was first revealed by the regional president in a media talk outside Zardari House in Islamabad, shortly after Jumma prayers.

“Our chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has decided that Faisal Rathore will be nominated for the position of prime minister,” said Mr Yasin, flanked by ex-premier of Pakistan Raja Pervez Ashraf and AJK LA Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar.

“The no-confidence resolution will be tabled today and God willing the PPP will form its government in the coming days,” he added.

Earlier, Mr Ashraf said the PPP had taken an “excellent decision” and reiterated the party’s commitment to the people of Kashmir. “Our priority is to ease people’s hardships and pave the way for the next elections,” he said, referring to the polls due in July 2026.

Soon afterwards, PPP lawmakers Chaudhry Qasim Majeed, Sardar Javed Ayoub, Malik Zafar Iqbal and Chaudhry Ali Shan Soni submitted the no-trust resolution to AJK assembly’s special secretary, Amjed Latif Abbasi in Muzaffarabad.

Assembly Secretary Cha­udhry Basharat, who is related to Mr Haq, did not attend office on Friday.

Resolution

The resolution, signed by 23 lawmakers from the PPP as well as PML-N’s AJK president Shah Ghulam Qadir and his predecessor Raja Farooq Haider, accused Mr Haq of having “lost the trust of the Legislative Assembly” and of causing “serious damage to the constitutional, ideological and democratic framework of the state through his governance style, political narrative and confrontational conduct”.

“We, the proposers, recognise Faisal Mumtaz Rathore as the nominee for prime minister and call for the earliest completion of the electoral process in accordance with constitutional and democratic requirements, so that the continuity of government formation remains intact,” it added.

Interestingly, the resolution — typed on a computer — had left the section naming the proposed new leader intentionally blank while signatures were being collected. Mr Rathore’s name was later handwritten into the document before submission.

Another striking element was that 19 of the 25 signatories were members of Mr Haq’s own cabinet, and none resigned even after filing the no-trust motion.

Who is Rathore?

Born on April 11, 1978, in Rawalpindi, Mr Rathore is the son of the late Raja Mumtaz Hussain Rathore, a former AJK prime minister who also served as senior minister, leader of the opposition and speaker of the Legislative Assembly at various stages of his political career.

His mother, Begum Farhat Rathore, who belonged to a migrant family from India-held Kashmir, also served as an MLA on a reserved seat, in addition to heading the PPP Women’s Wing.

After the death of his father, his elder brother Masood Mumtaz Rathore was elected to the AJK Legislative Assembly in 1999 for the remainder of the term from their constituency in Haveli district.

Faisal Rathore first entered electoral politics in 2006 from LA-17 Haveli, Kahuta. However, he won his first assembly seat in the 2011 general elections on a PPP ticket and later served in the cabinet of then prime minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed as minister for AJK Logging and Sawmills Corporation and minister for electricity.

In 2016, he was arrested in what was widely viewed as a politically motivated case but was subsequently exonerated. The young politician was appointed secretary general of the PPP AJK chapter on March 23, 2017, a position he continues to hold.

In the 2021 elections, he returned to the assembly and remained an active voice on the opposition benches. In 2023, he joined the coalition government led by Mr Haq as minister for Local Government and Rural Development and was also tasked with heading the government’s negotiation committee with the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee.

Known for his soft-spoken, conciliatory and non-controversial disposition, Mr Rathore is seen as a figure who maintains working relationships across political and administrative circles. He has also worked in national media, hosting a regular programme on a private TV channel.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2025