Muzaffarabad: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has ended weeks of speculation by naming Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, its regional secretary general, as the candidate for Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
According to Dawn, the announcement was followed by the submission of a no-confidence resolution against incumbent PM Chaudhry Anwarul Haq. The resolution was signed by 25 lawmakers, including 23 from the PPP and two senior figures from the PML-N. Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar has summoned the Legislative Assembly to meet on Monday for the vote.
Under Article 18 of the AJK Constitution, a no-confidence motion must include the name of a successor. Rathore’s nomination was revealed by PPP regional president Chaudhry Mohammad Yasin outside Zardari House in Islamabad, flanked by former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and Speaker Akbar.
The resolution accused Haq of losing the trust of the assembly and damaging the constitutional and democratic framework through his governance style and confrontational conduct. Interestingly, 19 of the 25 signatories were members of Haq’s own cabinet, none of whom resigned after filing the motion.
Born in 1978, Faisal Rathore is the son of former AJK Prime Minister Raja Mumtaz Hussain Rathore. He entered politics in 2006, won his first assembly seat in 2011, and has since held ministerial positions. Currently serving as AJK’s Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Rathore is known for his conciliatory and non-controversial approach.
The PPP leadership described the decision as “excellent” and reiterated its commitment to easing public hardships and preparing for the next elections in July 2026.