Muzaffarabad, October 29, 2025: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have formally signed a no-confidence motion against Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, ending weeks of political deadlock.
PPP AJK Secretary-General Faisal Mumtaz Rathore confirmed on Wednesday that both parties had signed the motion, with former AJK premier Raja Farooq Haider representing the PML-N.
“We currently have the open support of 37 members,” Rathore said, adding that five additional lawmakers have assured their backing.
In a major development, PPP has nominated senior leader Chaudhry Yaseen as its candidate for the office of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister.
Party sources said the decision was finalised at a high-level meeting at Zardari House, chaired by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Four names, Chaudhry Yaseen, Chaudhry Latif Akbar, Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, and Sardar Yaqub, were discussed, but Yaseen’s nomination was unanimously endorsed by the party’s AJK leadership.
Sources said that the new prime minister’s first task would be to complete pending constitutional appointments before paving the way for early elections in Azad Kashmir. The PML-N leadership has decided to support the no-confidence motion but not join the new government, choosing instead to sit on the opposition benches.
The motion, which requires 27 votes for a simple majority, already has the backing of 37 lawmakers, according to PPP leaders. Rana Sanaullah and Ahsan Iqbal, senior PML-N leaders, said their party had lost confidence in the current AJK government but would maintain political independence after the transition.
The PPP’s strength in the AJK Legislative Assembly grew from 17 to 27 after ten PTI lawmakers defected to join the party at Zardari House, Islamabad.
The joining was overseen by Faryal Talpur, President of the PPP Women’s Wing and sister of President Asif Ali Zardari, alongside senior leader Chaudhry Riaz.
The new alignment between PPP and PML-N marks a significant political shift in Azad Kashmir, positioning Chaudhry Yaseen to take charge as the region’s next Prime Minister.
