ISLAMABAD (MNN); Pakistan Peoples Party’s Raja Faisal Rathore took oath as the new Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Tuesday, just a day after securing victory in the assembly vote that removed Anwarul Haq from office.
The oath was administered by AJK Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Lateef Akbar during a ceremony in Muzaffarabad, attended by the governors of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, senior leader Faryal Talpur and top civil-military officials were also present.
In his address, Rathore expressed gratitude to PPP’s leadership, including President Asif Ali Zardari and Talpur, for entrusting him with the responsibility. He praised the Pakistan Army for their sacrifices and vowed that PPP would work to rebuild public trust.
Bilawal congratulated the people of AJK and said democracy in the region had been revived. He praised Kashmiris for their strong political awareness, reminding Rathore that the commitments made to the public now rest on his shoulders. He also stressed that the new AJK government would operate with transparency rather than “behind closed doors.”
Turning his attention to India, Bilawal accused New Delhi of evading accountability on issues related to IIOJK. He said the world had not forgotten that “seven Indian aircraft were downed” and warned that India’s “conspiracies” would also fail.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif phoned Rathore to congratulate him and reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to the development, welfare, and security of the AJK people.
Rathore has now become the 16th Prime Minister of AJK and the fourth during the tenure of the current assembly.
On Monday, the AJK Legislative Assembly ousted Anwarul Haq through a no-confidence motion submitted by the PPP. Thirty-six lawmakers backed the motion, while two opposed it. PPP had strengthened its position after 10 PTI lawmakers joined the party in late October. PML-N supported the motion but chose not to join the government.
