By Our acorrespondent
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE, November 17 — Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Faisal Mumtaz Rathore has been elected as the 16th Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) with a commanding majority. The vote took place during a special session of the AJK Assembly on the no-confidence motion against former Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq.
Faisal Rathore secured 36 votes in favor while only 2 members voted against him. The oath-taking ceremony for the new Prime Minister is scheduled for tomorrow.
The no-confidence motion against Anwar-ul-Haq was presented by members Choudhry Qasim Majeed, Sardar Javed Ayub, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Ali Shan Soni, and Muhammad Rafiq Nair on November 14. The AJK Assembly comprises 53 members, with 27 votes required to elect the Prime Minister. PPP successfully secured the simple majority needed for the motion, with the Pakistan Muslim League-N also supporting Rathore’s candidacy.
Faisal Mumtaz Rathore previously served as Minister for Local Government and Rural Development. His father, Mumtaz Hussain Rathore, also held the office of Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir, marking the continuation of the family’s prominent role in Kashmiri politics.
