A high-level meeting between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership concluded at the Presidency on Monday, where both parties discussed the ongoing political turmoil in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and agreed on key steps to resolve the crisis.
Following the meeting, PPP leaders announced plans to bring a no-confidence motion against the Azad Kashmir government, while PML-N leaders confirmed they would support the motion but not become part of the new government.
After the meeting, senior PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said the party had decided to table a no-confidence motion against the government led by Prime Minister Anwarul Haq, describing it as “a cause of crisis” in the region.
“The current Azad Kashmir government has become a cause of crisis. Matters have deteriorated to such an extent that the federal government had to intervene,” Kaira said.
He added that the PPP had accepted PML-N’s decision regarding the motion and confirmed that further decisions would be finalized after consultation with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is currently abroad. “The prime minister is abroad and will make the remaining decisions after consulting him,” Kaira added.
PML-N supports motion, rules out joining new govt
Speaking to the media, the PM's adviser Rana Sanaullah confirmed that the PML-N would back the PPP’s no-confidence motion, but clarified that the party had no intention of joining the new government in Azad Kashmir.
“The PML-N will support the no-confidence motion against the Azad Kashmir government,” Rana Sanaullah said, adding, “We will not join the new Azad Kashmir government.”
He further said that President Asif Ali Zardari had been taken into confidence on the entire situation and that discussions were aimed at ensuring political stability in the region.
'If PPP has majority, it should form govt'
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal echoed his party’s stance, emphasizing that the PPP should form the new government if it commands a majority in the AJK Legislative Assembly. “If the PPP has got the majority, it should form the government,” Iqbal stated, adding that the existing setup has failed to meet public aspirations.
He described the current government’s performance as deeply disappointing, saying that it had lost public confidence and become politically unstable.
'Agreement with Action Committee is being implemented'
Former National Assembly speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said that the party was committed to implementing its agreement with the Action Committee and ensuring relief measures for the people of Azad Kashmir. “Our agreement with the Action Committee is being implemented. We will take steps that make things easier for our Kashmiri brothers,” he said.
Ashraf further emphasized that the PPP aims to create an environment conducive to free and transparent elections in the region. “Such an atmosphere should be created in Kashmir that the elections will be transparent,” he noted.
Consultations at President House
The meeting, held at the Presidency in Islamabad, brought together senior leadership from both major political parties. The PML-N delegation included Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Sanaullah, Amir Muqam, and other senior members.
The PPP side was represented by Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Nayyar Bukhari, Qamar Zaman Kaira, and PPP Azad Kashmir President Chaudhry Yasin along with Faisal Mumtaz Rathore.
President Asif Ali Zardari, along with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Faryal Talpur, presided over the discussions. Multiple proposals regarding the formation of a new government in Azad Kashmir were deliberated upon during the meeting.
Sources said the president was briefed on the latest political developments in Azad Kashmir, including efforts to restore stability and public confidence in the region’s leadership.
Process for no-confidence move
According to the Constitution, a no-confidence motion against the prime minister of Azad Kashmir can be submitted with the signatures of at least 25% of the members of the Legislative Assembly. The motion must also include the name of the proposed candidate for prime minister.
The Azad Kashmir Assembly consists of 53 members, meaning signatures from at least 14 members are required to submit the no-confidence motion to the Assembly Secretariat. The speaker is responsible for including the name of the proposed PM in the motion.
A vote on the no-confidence motion must be held no earlier than three days and no later than seven days after its submission. If the motion fails, another no-confidence motion cannot be brought forward for six months. Furthermore, the prime minister cannot dissolve the assembly once a no-confidence motion has been filed.
