MUZAFFARABAD — November 18, 2025: Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was sworn in on Tuesday as the 16th prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), a day after former premier Chaudhry Anwarul Haq was removed through a vote of no confidence in the AJK Legislative Assembly.
The oath-taking ceremony took place at the President’s House in Muzaffarabad and was administered by AJK Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar on behalf of AJK President Barrister Sultan Mahmood, who was unable to attend due to health reasons. Senior political leadership, including PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Faryal Talpur, and governors of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, were present at the ceremony.
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Rathore Vows to Address Public Issues, Strengthen Governance
In his address after taking oath, Rathore thanked the PPP leadership for entrusting him with the responsibility and acknowledged the challenges ahead.
“Fulfilling these duties will not be easy in such a difficult era, but God gives strength to those who are tasked with responsibility,” he said. Rathore also emphasized AJK’s historic role as the “basecamp of the Kashmir freedom movement” and reaffirmed his commitment to the region’s development and security.
The newly sworn-in premier paid tribute to martyrs and soldiers defending the Line of Control, while also reflecting on his family’s political legacy. He noted that his father, Raja Mumtaz Hussain Rathore, had served as a senior minister and later as AJK prime minister, calling his own election a continuation of the PPP’s longstanding trust.
A day earlier, Rathore announced initial administrative reforms, including downsizing government expenditure, introducing a new transport policy for officials, and capping the number of secretaries at 20.
Bilawal: ‘Politics Restored in AJK’
Addressing the gathering, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari congratulated AJK residents and said politics in the region had finally “been restored.”
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Praising the political awareness of Kashmiris, Bilawal said Rathore had directly witnessed public grievances during recent protests and must now fulfil the commitments he made. He assured citizens that the AJK government would no longer operate “from behind closed doors.”
Turning to India, Bilawal said New Delhi was attempting to undermine the bond between Pakistan and Kashmir but claimed international forums had witnessed India “backing away” from scrutiny over the Pahalgam incident. He reiterated that Pakistan’s defence record was clear, adding: “India has lost wars — and now it will lose its conspiracies too.”
PM Shehbaz Assures Full Federal Support
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif telephoned Rathore earlier in the day to congratulate him and reaffirmed that AJK’s progress, welfare, and economic stability remain among the federal government’s top priorities.
“We are determined to work with the AJK government for the welfare and security of the people,” the prime minister said, assuring full cooperation.
Political Context: Fourth AJK PM in Four Years
Rathore becomes the fourth prime minister of AJK within the current assembly’s tenure, following Abdul Qayyum Khan, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, and Chaudhry Anwarul Haq.
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The no-confidence motion against Haq passed with 36 votes from PPP and PML-N lawmakers, while two PTI members opposed it. Under the AJK Constitution, a no-confidence vote automatically counts as a vote in favour of the candidate proposed as successor.
PPP strengthened its position in the assembly in recent weeks, with 10 PTI lawmakers joining the party following meetings with senior leadership in Islamabad. The PML-N supported the no-confidence vote but did not join the governing coalition.
Baaghi TV will continue to provide updates on the formation of the new AJK cabinet and forthcoming policy decisions under Prime Minister Faisal Rathore.
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