PML-N parts ways with AJK government

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday announced its decision to part ways with the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government, declaring that it will now sit in opposition and not be part of any new political arrangement.

Speaking to reporters, PML-N AJK President Shah Ghulam Qadir said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had the democratic right to move a no-confidence motion against the prime minister, but the PML-N would not support or join any new coalition government.

 “We will not become part of any unnatural alliance. The PML-N will now play the role of a responsible opposition,” Qadir said, warning that any party member defying the party’s stance would face disciplinary action.

He stressed that only transparent general elections could ensure a stable government in AJK, adding that the PML-N was focused on the welfare of refugees and overseas Kashmiris.

Qadir said the party had emerged as a strong and organised political force and would continue to play a constructive role in resolving constitutional and political crises in the region.

 “Under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif, we will launch a vigorous election campaign,” he added.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Legislative Assembly elects the prime minister, who serves as the chief executive, while the President acts as the constitutional head.

The current Prime Minister, Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq, took office in April 2023, becoming the third person to hold the post in just two years.

He leads the Council of Ministers and oversees the region’s executive affairs, while the federal Ministry of Kashmir Affairs in Islamabad maintains administrative and financial coordination.

Political analysts say the PML-N’s withdrawal could intensify instability in the region’s fragile coalition setup, possibly paving the way for fresh political alignments or early elections in AJK.

Haq, who previously served as Speaker of the AJK Legislative Assembly, was elected unopposed as prime minister after securing the support of 48 out of 52 legislators — including members of PTI, PPP, and PML-N — making it one of the broadest-based governments in the region’s recent history.

Earlier, a four-day shutter-down strike and communications blackout crippled AJK after the JAAC continued to press its demands.

At least 10 people have been killed and dozens critically injured in violent clashes between protesters and security forces in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, officials and local sources said