Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Tuesday that the joint decision of his party, PML-N and the PPP, to support a vote of no confidence (VONC) against the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) premier was a sign of “democratic maturity” to solve the region’s issues.
The PML-N and PPP — coalition partners in the federal government — announced yesterday that they will jointly bring about a no-trust motion against AJK Prime Minister Haq.
The PML-N has said it would support the no-trust motion against the AJK premier but would not become part of the government, and instead would be in the opposition. PPP’s Qamar Zaman Kaira said his party accepted that decision.
Today, Iqbal chaired a meeting of the PML-N’s “political coordination committee” at his planning ministry in Islamabad on the directives of PM Shehbaz Sharif.
Kashmir affairs minister Amir Muqam and Adviser to PM on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah were among the meeting’s participants, while PML-N’s AJK President Shah Ghulam Qadir was leading his parliamentary party.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Iqbal said: “This is proof of great democratic maturity that two major stakeholders are agreeing on bringing a vote of no confidence, considering Kashmir’s political situation and for better governance there.
“And they have also agreed that if one party is part of the government, the other party will play its role in the opposition. This is a sign of a mature democratic system,” he added.
“We will also demand that the new government that comes into power conduct independent and fair elections as soon as possible, so that a stable government can be formed in Kashmir through which it can proceed speedily on its journey of progress,” the PML-N leader said.
Iqbal further said that while his party was part of the previous coalition government, it was a “minority stakeholder”, emphasising that the PML-N parliamentary party in AJK had consistently demanded to be “separated from the current government” because of its poor performance.
Iqbal asserted that other stakeholders and parties had also supported the PML-N stance that the “coalition setup was not a solution” to Azad Kashmir’s issues.
Responding to a reporter’s query, Muqam asserted that the agreement signed earlier this month with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) will be implemented, regardless of the government in power.
Speaking to reporters earlier today, Muqam stated that the PML-N’s decision to be part of the opposition benches in the AJK Legislative Assembly would not hurt ties with the PPP.
“There will be no impact on our relations, the PPP knows this and we do too.”
Asked whether there was a possibility of the PTI and the PPP coming together to form a coalition government in AJK, Muqam said, “There is no such chance.”
Yesterday, a PML-N panel, led by Iqbal and comprising Muqam and Sanaullah, called on President Asif Ali Zardari to discuss possible options for the formation of the AJK government to be led by the PPP.
Both parties have ratcheted up pressure on the embattled premier to step down from the post, or face a VONC in the region’s legislative assembly.
The AJK Legislative Assembly has 52 members, and to achieve a simple majority, a party requires the support of 27 members.
The PPP, whose ranks swelled to 27 after 10 lawmakers from the forward bloc joined it on Sunday, can comfortably gather the needed votes with the support of PML-N’s nine members in the assembly.
The PTI has four members, and the Muslim Conference and Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party each have one member.
In light of this situation, the incumbent PM was reportedly advised to opt for an “honourable exit” by resigning as he had lost the support of the majority. He has three options: dissolve the assembly to prevent the party from coming to power, step down, or face a no-confidence vote.
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