or two years, Azad Jammu and Kashmir has been in constant political turmoil. Three prime ministers have been elected since the last general election. The frequent changes in leadership have raised concerns about political stability in the region and its impact on development. The recent disqualification of Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, the second Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf prime minister of the AJK, for contempt of court, has aggravated the already precarious political situation.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf AJK (PTI-AJK) has undergone a shake-up following Sardar Ilyas’s disqualification. A faction of the PTI, led by Chaudhry Anwar-ul Haq, has joined forces with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to form a new government, dealing a significant blow to the PTI’s local leadership. In the end, only seven out of 31 members of the Legislative Assembly remained loyal to the PTI and the rest joined the so-called Forward Bloc. As a consequence, former prime minister Tanveer Ilyas was also removed from the party’s presidency.

This is not the first time the AJK has experienced a change in political leadership. In 2022, Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi, the former prime minister, was forced to step down from his august office due to a no-confidence motion brought by his own party, the PTI. The PTI wished to have Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, the party’s regional president, take his place. Niazi was alleged to have lost the trust of the parliamentary party and of failure to highlight the Kashmir issue and implement the party manifesto, besides poor governance, nepotism and disregard for merit. His tenure had lasted a mere nine months.

Unfortunately, his successor, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, too, was unable to complete his term. He became the first prime minister of the AJK to be disqualified for contempt of court. This was a significant setback for the PTI in the AJK. The PTI parliamentary party also failed then to agree on a candidate for the prime minister’s office, paving the way for the PPP and the PML-N to attract a significant faction from the PTI.

On April 20, Chaudhry Anwar-ul Haq was sworn in as the 15th prime minister of the AJK. He is a former member of the PTI who has emerged as a consensus candidate after leaving the party. Since there were no other candidates, he was elected unopposed. He received 48 votes in the 52-member House, showing support from the PPP and the PML-N as well as the PTI. Previously, he had served as the speaker of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

Regarding the disqualification of his predecessor, Tanveer Ilyas, for contempt of court, he stated, “The prime minister, who was elected today, will not be removed by the court or the House. If he fails to serve the people, he will resign from his post himself.”

Ilyas is the first prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir to be disqualified for contempt of court. This has been a significant setback for the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

Tanveer Ilyas used to publicly insult senior leaders of opposition parties. During a gathering in Mirpur, he also confronted and heckled Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Later, speaking at a news conference, he claimed that the government of Pakistan (PM’s office) had not given the AJK administration or government advance notice of his planned attendance at an event there. He also accused Sharif of being anti-Kashmir.

Ilyas had failed miserably at establishing an institutional relationship with the federal government. As a result, the development allocation by the federal government was significantly curtailed. He was unable also to secure funding from the federal government for special developmental projects. Several development initiatives had to be abandoned due to a lack of funding. Not a single major infrastructure development project was launched under his administration. As a result, economic development in the region stagnated.

In a conversation with The News on Sunday, Justice Manzoor Gillani, a former chief justice of the Azad Kashmir Supreme Court, said that the under-representation in the federal government, the incapacity of successive prime ministers and a lack of strategic thinking were the key causes of governance failure following the general elections of 2021. He said Tanveer Ilyas’ PTI administration had lacked legitimacy and a credible image. He said it had brought governance to the brink of an abyss.

It has been argued that top public offices require political experience and acumen. A senior PTI leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested that Imran Khan and the PTI leadership should draw lessons from this experience and establish a robust decision-making process in the party. Appointments, he said, should be made based on public service and demonstrated character, rather than recommendations and wealth.

The new PM carries the hopes of the region for a brighter and more secure future. As the leader of an unlikely coalition, he has to walk a tightrope. Despite the challenges, it is hoped that he will forge a better relationship with the federal government and secure funding and institutional support for the rapid development of the region. The AJK is lagging behind in healthcare facilities, education and service delivery. It is crucial that the government leaders work hard to improve governance. Only then can it earn general acceptance and political legitimacy.

The writer is a freelance contributor based in AJK. She tweets @hunain_mahmood