Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-backed Chaudhry Anwarul Haq has been elected unopposed as the 15th Prime Minister (PM) of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Haq won with a comfortable majority of 31 votes in the 52-strong Legislative Assembly in the wee hours of Thursday.

Initially, the session was convened at 2pm on Wednesday, however, it got delayed amid hectic political manoeuvring. Consequently, a new election schedule was issued by the speaker late in the night with proceedings starting at 12:40am on Thursday.

The election of the prime minister was triggered by the disqualification of Tanveer Ilyas of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) by the AJK High Court on April 11. Later, the decision was upheld by the region’s Supreme Court.

After Imran, another PTI prime minister removed from power

Earlier, PM of AJK Sardar Tanveer Ilyas was disqualified by a full bench of the region’s High Court on contempt of court charges.

Ilyas is associated with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He assumed the office of PM in April 2022 and has been removed a year later, making him the first premier of the region to be removed in such a manner.

Almost exactly a year ago, on April 10, his party chief and then-PM Imran Khan was ousted through a no-confidence motion.

Ilyas had indirectly blamed the judiciary for affecting the functioning of his government and interfering in the domain of the executive through the grant of stay orders at an event in Islamabad.

On April 14, 2022, AJK PM Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi tendered his resignation even before voting on the no-confidence motion against him could be held. Later, Ilyas was elected unopposed by the Assembly.