PTI to file references against dissident lawmakers in AJK, says sources
MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has decided to file formal references against dissident members of the Legislative Assembly who recently defected from the party, sources told ARY News.
According to sources, PTI AJK President Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi has directed the party’s legal team to prepare references against lawmakers who left the party. He has also initiated consultations with Leader of the Opposition Khawaja Farooq Ahmed and other senior leaders regarding the matter.
Under the Election Act 2020, any member who deserts their party may face disqualification, the sources added.
Reportedly, 12 members of the forward bloc have joined the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). References are being drafted against several of them, including Zafar Malik, Abdul Majeed, Akbar Ibrahim, and Yasir Sultan.
Others named in the list include Chaudhry Ikhlaq, Chaudhry Rasheed, Chaudhry Arshad, Faheem Rabbani, and Muhammad Hussain, among others.
Sources further said that if the dissident members vote against the party in a no-confidence motion, they could face immediate disqualification.
The PTI leadership has reportedly agreed to take a firm stance against the defecting lawmakers. President PTI AJK Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi has already sent references against four members to the Speaker of the Assembly, sources added.
Earlier, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) claimed to have 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 had decided to join the PPP, giving the party a clear majority for government formation in the region. Those joining include PTI’s 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.