AJK’s PML-N led government forms eight-member cabinet

An eight-member cabinet of the newly formed Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government was sworn in on Friday, marking the completion of the initial administrative structure of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led government in the valley.

AJK Acting President Chaudhry Tariq Farooq administered the oath to the cabinet members at a formal ceremony held at the Presidency in Muzaffarabad.

Waqar Noor, Azhar Sadiq, Saqib Majeed, Dr Mustafa Bashir, Raja Riasat, Engineer Umair Naeem, Abdul Rehman Arain and Sardar Mir Akbar took the oath in today’s ceremony.

Newly elected Prime Minister Iftikhar Gilani, PML-N AJK President Shah Ghulam Qadir, members of the AJK Legislative Assembly, senior government officials, bureaucrats and a large number of citizens attended the event.

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The ministers pledged to discharge their responsibilities in accordance with the Constitution and law, as well as to work for the welfare of the people of Kashmir as they took their oaths.

The formation of the cabinet has formally set in motion the administrative functioning of the new government, while portfolios are expected to be allocated to the ministers over time.

Qadir remained a centre of attention during the ceremony, with a large number of newly elected AJKLA members gathering around him.

Meanwhile, PML-N workers from the electoral constituencies of the newly inducted ministers and citizens extended their support to the new cabinet.

Separately, PM Gilani presided over a PML-N parliamentary party meeting joined by Qadir.

Gilani had assumed the office of the prime minister of AJK on August 28 after securing a majority in the prime minister's election in the assembly. Qadir had excused himself on the voting day after his nomination as the next premier was revoked by the party leadership, and the post was offered to Gilani.

The PML-N has the support of 32 members in the 53-member AJK Legislative Assembly, including its allies Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Awami Dast-o-Bazu, while the Pakistan People's Party has 14 votes.