Change of heart in AJK
The change of command in Azad Jammu & Kashmir government was uncalled for. It is yet a debate as to why the ruling PTI revolted against Prime Minister Abdul Qayyum Niazi, and what was the rush. It is also the first of its kind in AJK where the ruling party dumped its own nominee, and that too merely after eight months in power. Though the real story is yet to be revealed, the change of heart has sworn in Sardar Tanveer Ilyas as the new chief executive in a unanimous and uncontested vote. The autonomous state has closely survived political uncertainty and it remains to be seen how the PTI moves ahead with its manifesto of building a self-reliant and prosperous entity.
What was surprising is that the high drama started immediately after Prime Minister Imran Khan was shown the door. The AJK legislators belonging to the PTI tabled a no-confidence motion against Niazi who was blamed for incompetence and nepotism. This raised many eyebrows as to how come this sudden realisation had dawned on PTI, and especially in the wake of a similar trajectory in Islamabad on the part of combined opposition against PM Khan. But the window-dressing answers were hard to believe, and it was communicated that it had the blessings of PM Khan too. The fact, nonetheless, is that it was a tactical move to save the PTI government from sliding into horse-trading, and a failed no-trust vote would have secured Niazi a confirmed berth for next six months. It was apparently a well-orchestrated faux pas with an axe falling on Niazi.
The PTI sits with a comfortable thumping majority in AJK to usher in a new era. It has to look beyond leg-pulling and strive for an energetic development agenda. There is much that the state could do to attain self-reliance, and promoting tourism is the key to success. While conventionally Muzaffarabad looks up to Islamabad for buoying its purse, and seeking a roadmap too, it has to work out a mechanism wherein the state is able to stand on its feet. This will be a great service to the freedom struggle going on across the Line of Control in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir, and act as a role model for times to come.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 21st, 2022.
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