Muzaffarabad, November 19, 2025: The newly formed 20-member cabinet of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) took its oath of office on Wednesday in a ceremony held at the Presidential House in Muzaffarabad.
The oath was administered by Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Chaudhry Latif Akbar, in the presence of the newly-elected Prime Minister Sardar Faisal Mumtaz Rathore. The cabinet comprises 18 ministers and two advisors, all of whom participated in the ceremony.
Among the newly sworn-in ministers are Sardar Faheem Rabbani, Chaudhry Ikhlaq, Yasir Sultan, Sardar Muhammad Hussain, Nabeela Ayub, Chaudhry Rashid, Chaudhry Arshad, Javed Iqbal Budhanvi, Javed Ayub, Qasim Majeed, Rafiq Nayer, Deewan Chughtai, Malik Zafar, Ziaul Qamar, Amir Yasin, Bazil Naqvi, Mian Abdul Waheed, and Ali Shan Soni. In addition, the two advisors also took their oaths, with the prime minister personally administering the oath for the advisory roles.
Sources indicate that the formation of the new cabinet is expected to strengthen the government and provide political stability, enabling it to implement planned initiatives more effectively.
The cabinet formation faced delays after an initial proposal to appoint only ten ministers was rejected by assembly members, prompting further consultations led by PPP leader Faryal Talpur and Prime Minister Rathore. Following these discussions and finalisation of ministerial assignments, the swearing-in ceremony was held on Wednesday.
