Faisal Mumtaz Rathore was sworn in as the 16th Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Monday, following his election after a successful no-confidence motion against the previous prime minister.
The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Presidential House, with the Speaker of the AJK Assembly, Choudhry Latif Akbar, administering the oath. Senior political and civil figures attended the event, including PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Governors of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Syed Mehdi Shah and Faisal Karim Kundi, Faryal Talpur, assembly members, and top military officials.
Addressing the ceremony, Faisal Mumtaz Rathore expressed gratitude to Asif Ali Zardari, Faryal Talpur, and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for entrusting him with the responsibility. “It is not easy to lead during challenging times. The PPP has taken on the duty of reconnecting with the public,” he said, while also paying tribute to the Pakistan Army for its sacrifices in defending the country.
Rathore was elected following a no-confidence motion against former Prime Minister Choudhry Anwar-ul-Haq, in which 36 assembly members voted in his favor and 2 against. The motion, submitted by Sardar Javed Ayub, Choudhry Qasim Majeed, and others, proposed Faisal Mumtaz Rathore as the alternative candidate for the assembly leadership.
The new prime minister takes office as the fourth PM of the current AJK assembly, marking a key political transition in the region.
