The move, approved by President Asif Ali Zardari and backed by the PML-N leadership, comes amid escalating rifts within AJK’s coalition setup and growing criticism of what both parties describe as the government’s “complete failure” to deliver on governance and stability.
At a joint press conference in Islamabad, PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira, flanked by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, said, “It has been decided that the current AJK government, which we both parties were part of, has become a basis of creating a crisis instead of solving problems”.
He said crises of such magnitude had twice compelled the federal government to intervene. “Now there is consensus of opinion that a no-confidence motion will be brought against it on which the PPP and PML-N will be together,” Kaira said.
The PPP leader noted that while the PML-N had earlier announced its decision to sit in opposition – a move the PPP may not have initially desired – his party had accepted it for the sake of political stability.
He said both parties sought “better governance, political stability, problem resolution, and free and fair elections” to ensure that “the true representatives of the region could be elected and form their government”.
“The timing of the [no-confidence] move will be consulted with the prime minister,” he said.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the PML-N believed the current AJK setup had been “completely unsuccessful” in meeting its responsibilities.
He said a high-level joint committee had been sent to the region to negotiate a resolution, but “what clearly came to the fore in that entire situation was that the current setup has remained unsuccessful in living up to the people’s aspirations and our commitment to the people of Kashmir of good governance and opportunities for prosperity. For that, it is inevitable that the current setup is changed through a no-confidence motion”.
He added that the PML-N’s AJK chapter had decided to play its democratic role from the opposition benches while continuing to represent the people’s interests.
Rana Sanaullah also criticised the sitting government, saying it had “failed in completing its responsibilities,” resulting in a “political vacuum” that bred further instability. “Whichever government is formed will solve the people’s issues and serve them, and then credible, fair, and free elections will be held,” he said.
‘Political theatre’
Meanwhile, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja dismissed the PPPPML-N alliance as “political theatre”, claiming the two parties “did not have any actual plan” to form a genuine opposition.
Speaking to a private news channel, Raja said, “PPP and PML-N are the two sides of the same coin; they have an alliance and do not intend on forming an actual opposition. They are just each taking their respective turns right now”.
Responding to questions about whether Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) would side with the PTI, PPP or PML-N in the National Assembly, Raja said, “Considering the past, I don’t think they will go with us at the end, and whether they form an alliance with PPP or PML-N, I cannot say anything about it. But we (PTI) don’t really have any interest in it”.
“Our stance is that these assemblies are just a facade. People don’t trust them anymore, so they can keep doing what they want, and whoever becomes the next opposition, it does not make any difference,” he added.
The PPP now appears poised to install its own candidate to lead the regional government following the expected exit of incumbent AJK Prime Minister Anwarul Haq. The plan – reportedly finalised after President Zardari’s meeting with AJK lawmakers on Saturday – triggered the defection of ten PTI legislators to the PPP, giving the party a commanding majority.
If successful, AJK will witness its fourth prime minister in four and a half years.
After his meeting with AJK lawmakers, President Zardari also spoke with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take him into confidence over the PPP’s plan and strategy for the new government.
The PPP’s tally rose to 27 after the addition of the ten lawmakers, securing it the numbers needed to form a government.
The new entrants announced their decision a day after President Zardari met PPP’s AJK legislators and reaffirmed his commitment to “the politics of reconciliation and tolerance”.
The meeting reviewed governance challenges, the evolving political landscape, and the party’s roadmap for ensuring a smooth transition of power in the region.