MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): Members Legislative Assembly (MLAs) Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) would vote in a no-confidence move today as Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar ul Haq has decided to put a fight rather than stepping down.
The Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), on the other hand, appears to have obtained the magic number with another member of the forward bloc extending support to its candidate for the PM slot, Faisal Mumtaz Rathore.
In the latest of the successes for the PPP, Minister for Education in Anwarul Haq’s cabinet, Deewan Chughtai, also announced his support for the PPP on Saturday.
His decision came after he met with PPP leader Faryal Talpur, during which he confirmed that he would back the party in the upcoming vote.
With this latest development, the PPP now commands the support of 37 members of the AJK Legislative Assembly against the 27 required.
27 votes required to pass no-confidence motion
To form a government in the AJK, the PPP requires the support of at least 27 members. The AJK Legislative Assembly has a total of 53 seats, and a simple majority of 27 votes is needed to form a government or pass a no-confidence motion.
According to sources close to PM Haq, he intends to contest the no-confidence motion rather than stepping down.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Muslim Conference, and the Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Party have decided to remain neutral in the whole political process.
