PPP’s Faisal Rathore sworn in as new AJK prime minister

Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore on Tuesday was sworn in as the 16th prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

The oath-taking ceremony was held a day after PPP’s Rathore was announced as the new AJK premier after Chaudhry Anwarul Haq was ousted through a vote of no-confidence (VoNC) in the region’s legislative assembly.

The oath was administered by AJK Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar at the President’s House in Muzaffarabad. The speaker performed the duty on behalf of AJK President Barrister Sultan Mahmood, who reportedly could not travel to the regional capital owing to his health issues.

Speaking after the oath, Rathore said, “First of all, I thank God from my heart for bestowing this heavy responsibility on my weak shoulders.”

The newly sworn-in premier said fulfilling those duties would not be an “easy task in this extremely difficult era”, but he believed that God gave the needed strength to those given such tasks.

Rathore thanked President Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur as owing to them, not only a “new government was established, but the PPP has again become one of the biggest parties” in AJK.

The PPP leader termed AJK a “basecamp” of the freedom movement for Kashmir. “Its aim is to cultivate this movement and fully play its role in it while staying here,” he said.

The new premier highlighted that another key point was the region’s development and progress. He paid tribute to the martyrs of the freedom movement and the soldiers on the Line of Control.

In his speech, Rathore recalled that in 1975, ex-PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had chosen his father late Raja Mumtaz Hussain Rathore as a senior minister, and later in 1990, ex-PM Benazir Bhutto chose him as the AJK premier “despite him being a part of a small community in the PPP”.

“And now, in 2025, the party leadership trusted me and sent me into this field,” Rathore added. He went on to affirm that this “relationship of trust based on half a decade” will remain between him and his party.

Prosperity of AJK’s people among Centre’s priorities: Shehbaz

Earlier today, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assured newly elected Rathore that the prosperity and progress of the region were among the federal government’s top priorities.

In a phone call, PM Shehbaz conveyed his heartfelt congratulations to Rathore on being chosen as the new premier of AJK, state-run PTV News reported.

“The progress and prosperity of AJK’s people are among the federal government’s priorities,” the prime minister was quoted as saying.

He further assured Rathore that the Centre was determined to work with the AJK government for the “welfare, economic development, prosperity, and peace and security” of the region’s public.

PM Shehbaz pledged that the federal government will provide “every possible cooperation” to the AJK set-up. He also expressed his best wishes to the PM-elect for his tenure.

Rathore is AJK’s fourth premier in the last four years, and the 16th since 1975 when the parliamentary form of government was introduced in the region.

The no-confidence vote against Chaudhry had sailed through on Monday with 36 votes from PPP and PML-N members, while two PTI opposition members voted against it.

Under the AJK Constitution, a note of no-confidence against the sitting prime minister automatically counts as a vote in favour of the lawmaker proposed as his successor in the same resolution.

After his election yesterday, the 47-year-old PM-elect announced several administrative measures, including a downsizing process, a new transport policy for officials, and limiting the number of secretaries to 20. He also pledged to address public issues and cater to the needs of low-paid staff.