AJK ministers, advisers 'refuse' to attend PM Abdul Qayyum-led cabinet meeting

ISLAMABAD: Political crisis is brewing in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) for Prime Minister Abdul Qayyum Niazi as eight members have refused to attend the cabinet meeting tomorrow, ARY NEWS reported.

According to sources privy to the matter, the cabinet meeting of the AJK government has been summoned tomorrow and the six ministers and two advisers have decided against participating in it.

They included Senior Minister Sardar Tanvir Ilyas, finance minister, Food Minister Ali Khan, Forest Minister, Agriculture Minister Sardar Mir Akbar, Social Welfare Minister Shahida Saghir.

Moreover, they said that Adviser to the PM AJK Akber Ibrahim will also not attend the proceedings. “The ministers have the support of Speaker of the AJK Legislative Assembly Chaudhry Anwar ul Haq,” they said.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) candidate Abdul Qayyum Niazi was elected as the new prime minister of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in August this year.

He received 33 votes from the assembly after he had the support of 32 lawmakers of the PTI and one other of the Muslim Conference.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) nominated Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi as the candidate for the slot of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) premier in a surprise move after approval from Prime Minister Imran Khan, who bypassed two top candidates.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry while confirming the report from his Twitter handle said that after a long process of consultations and suggestions, Prime Minister and Chairman of PTI Imran Khan has nominated a newly elected member of the AJK Legislative Assembly as the PTI nominee for the premier.

Abdul Qayyum Niazi has been elected as an MLA after defeating PML-N’s Chaudhry Yasin. He joined PTI after leaving Muslim Conference two years back.