PTI leader Anwar ul Haq elected PM AJK as unopposed

Anwar ul Haq was elected unopposed as the 15th Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, as no candidate filed nomination papers against him.

It is worth noting that Anwar ul Haq served as Speaker of the Assembly.

The AJK High Court disqualified PTI candidate Sardar Tanveer Ilyas in a contempt case.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas was disqualified by the Azad Kashmir High Court on April 11 in a contempt case.

He was accused of using a ‘threatening tone’ against the judiciary. During the proceedings, clips of the premier criticizing the judiciary were shown.

Also Read: PM AJK Sardar Tanveer Ilyas disqualified for contempt of court

Prior to Ilyas, two Pakistani prime ministers had been disqualified by a court.

First, the Supreme Court disqualified Yousaf Raza Gillani in 2012 for contempt of court for refusing to reopen corruption cases against then-President Asif Ali Zardari.

In the Panama Papers case, in which he was found guilty of failing to disclose his offshore assets, Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court in 2017. He was also barred from holding public office for the rest of his life.

Ilyas, a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), is now the first AJK prime minister to be disqualified.

The court removed Ilyas from his seat in the AJK legislature and barred him from running for any public office in the future. The sentence was upheld until the court rose.

The court has ordered AJK’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Abdul Rasheed Sulehria to hold elections for a new prime minister.

Ilyas had previously offered the court an unconditional apology for his statement when he appeared in today’s hearing.

Later, the disqualified PM petitioned the AJK Supreme Court to have the high court’s order overturned.

The Supreme Court demanded that Ilyas respond in writing within two weeks, explaining why he was in contempt of court.

PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry stated that it is critical to respect court decisions, whether they are made by the Prime Minister of Pakistan or the Governor of AJK, because the country cannot function if the judicial system is destroyed.