PPP secures majority to form govt in AJK without PML-N support

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has secured the required numbers to form the government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) without the support of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

According to party sources, five AJK ministers have decided to join the PPP, giving the party a clear majority for government formation in the region. Those joining include Chaudhry Yasir Sultan, Sardar Muhammad Hussain, Chaudhry Muhammad Ikhlaq, Chaudhry Arshad Hussain, and Chaudhry Muhammad Rashid.

The ministers met Faryal Talpur at Zardari House, Islamabad, to formally announce their decision. Senior PPP leaders Faheem Akhtar Rabbani, Muhammad Asim Sharif, Chaudhry Muhammad Akbar, Abdul Majeed Khan, and Chaudhry Muhammad Riaz were also present during the meeting.

Faryal Talpur said the inclusion of AJK ministers would further strengthen the PPP’s position in the region. The newly joined members expressed full confidence in the leadership of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari, pledging to play an active role in the development of Azad Kashmir and the welfare of its people under the PPP banner.

Earlier, President Asif Ali Zardari pledged to promote the politics of reconciliation and tolerance as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) steps up efforts to bring about an in-house change in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Assembly.

According to sources, a high-level meeting of PPP AJK leaders was held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad. The meeting was attended by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Faryal Talpur, and other senior party figures.

During the session, the participants discussed matters related to AJK’s governance, the region’s political situation, and the PPP’s strategy for forming a new government.

Sources said President Zardari informed the AJK parliamentary party of the decision to take charge of the AJK government — calling it an “extraordinary and challenging step” for the party.

“The PPP is assuming responsibility in difficult circumstances,” Zardari was quoted as saying. “But I am confident the party will deliver in AJK just as it has in the past.”

He emphasised that the next Prime Minister of AJK would be an ordinary PPP worker and a true Jiyala, The president urged party members to avoid premature or unnecessary statements ahead of the transition and to focus on fostering reconciliation and political tolerance in the region.

After his brief formal address, sources said, President Zardari held an extended informal discussion with the delegation, during which AJK’s pressing issues and possible solutions were reviewed. He also sought suggestions on tackling challenges facing the region’s administration.