ISLAMABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi on Thursday sacked five ministers on the charges of misconduct, corruption and suspicious activities.
According to a notification issued by the prime minister, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, Abdul Majeed Khan, Ali Shan Soni, Khawaja Farooq and Akbar Ibrahim have been removed from the cabinet.
A spokesperson of the AJK prime minister said that they have been sacked for misconduct and alleged corruption.
“The members of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly are removed forthwith from office as minister on the grounds of misconduct, wrongdoings and malpractices,” read the notification.
The development came a day after a reportedly unpleasant meeting between AJK PM Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi and PTI Chairman Imran Khan at his Bani Gala residence in Islamabad.
Reacting to the no-confidence motion submitted against him by the PTI’s lawmakers, Niazi accused former Kashmir affairs minister Ali Amin Gandapur of hatching a conspiracy against him after receiving Rs300 million, said the party sources.
The sources added that Imran Khan was left shocked by the accusations and he immediately formed a probe committee headed by the party’s vice-chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
Later, the AJK prime minister was told that the probe committee did not find any evidence in support of bribery allegations and that the process on the no-trust motion against him will continue.
After consulting with his close aides, Sardar Abdul Qayyum decided not to surrender and put up a resistance.
On Tuesday, as many as 25 members of the ruling PTI in Azad Jammu and Kashmir had filed a no-confidence motion against their own Prime Minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi, accusing him of failing to implement the party manifesto and creating a mess.
The motion, which has been filed under Article 18 of the Constitution of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, says Niazi has lost the confidence of the parliamentary party due to non-implementation of the party manifesto, mismanagement, nepotism and breach of merit and failure to highlight the Kashmir issue.
The PTI MLAs have proposed the name of Sardar Tanveer Ilyas for the PM’s slot under the Constitution of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He is the PTI regional head.
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