No-confidence vote against AJK PM Anwarul Haq at 3pm today
This collage shows PPP's Faisal Rathore and AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq
The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly will vote today (Monday) on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq.
The special session, scheduled for 3pm, will be chaired by Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar. The resolution seeking Haq’s removal was submitted to the assembly secretariat on Friday.
The PPP has nominated Faisal Rathore for the top slot. Rathore also enjoys the support of the PML-N, which has backed the motion but chosen not to join the government.
اسلام آباد: پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی کے چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری سے آزاد جموں و کشمیر کے نامزد وزیراعظم فیصل ممتاز راٹھور کی ملاقات
اسلام آباد: چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری اور آزاد جموں و کشمیر کے نامزد وزیراعظم فیصل ممتاز راٹھور کے درمیان زرداری ہاؤس میں ملاقات ہوئی
اسلام آباد:… pic.twitter.com/3BwCwP1KP3Security has been tightened around the Assembly Secretariat, Ministers’ Block and Prime Minister’s Secretariat. Entry is restricted to lawmakers and secretariat staff, while media personnel will be allowed only with official passes. All members will enter the House together.
The PPP has moved to consolidate its position in the region following President Asif Ali Zardari’s political roadmap unveiled last month.
Read: Bilawal says PPP in a position to form government in AJK
The PPP formally moved a no-confidence motion against AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq last week and nominated Faisal Rathore for the top slot, submitting the resolution with the required signatures.
Under assembly rules, the motion must be placed on the list of business within three to seven days, after which the speaker is constitutionally bound to set a voting date. Once the date is fixed, the session cannot be adjourned until the vote is held. The session has been convened by Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar under Article 27 of the AJK Constitution.
A simple majority of 27 votes is required for the motion to succeed. If passed, Haq will be removed from office. He was elected in April 2023 with 48 votes and has decided to face the motion rather than resign.
Political activity in Islamabad also intensified ahead of the vote, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari holding a series of meetings to discuss the expected change in AJK and the proposed power-sharing formula. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and senior PML-N leaders also attended the consultations.
Read More: PPP, PML-N at odds over AJK govt term
Although the PML-N signed the no-confidence motion, the party has decided not to support the PPP’s nominee for prime minister and will instead sit on the opposition benches, positioning itself for the July 2026 polls.
Members of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the PML-N have arrived in Muzaffarabad, along with PTI’s forward bloc and other lawmakers. PPP claims its support has grown from 36 to 38 members, with two additional forward bloc lawmakers joining the motion. PML-N will vote against Haq but has made clear it will not join the new government and will continue to demand early elections.
Tightest security arrangements have been put in place across the city. The new prime minister is expected to take oath tomorrow (Tuesday), with PPP’s central leadership likely to attend the ceremony.
If successful, Faisal Mumtaz Rathore will become AJK’s 16th prime minister and the fourth of the current assembly. The incoming government is expected to face key challenges, including implementing action committee agreements, addressing PML-N’s early election demand, and limiting the cabinet to 20 ministers. Today’s vote is set to chart a new course in AJK politics.
Raja Mumtaz Hussain Rathore, Faisal Mumtaz Rathore's father also served as AJK prime minister (1990–1991), and was assembly speaker in 1996. Building on this legacy, Faisal Mumtaz Rathore has risen through the PPP to become a leading candidate for AJK’s top slot. Prime Minister Haq, meanwhile, has refused to resign, saying he will face the vote on the floor of the House. He has continued official meetings at his residence and dismissed speculation about stepping down.