Faisal takes oath as the youngest premier of AJK

Raja Faisal Rathore belonging to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) took oath as Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) prime minister, a day after winning the vote from the state Legislative Assembly that unseated Anwar-ul Haq.

- Tariq Butt

Rathore was administered the oath by AJK Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar during a ceremony, which was attended by Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) governors. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, senior party leader Faryal Talpur and senior civil and military officials were also present at the oath-taking ceremony.

Later, 18 legislators from the PPP were sworn in as ministers for Faisal cabinet on Wednesday. The oath to the 18 ministers was administered at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Muzaffarabad by AJK Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar, who was substituting as the acting president due to the illness of AJK President Barrister Sultan Mahmood. Mahmood reportedly could not travel to the regional capital due to health issues. Nabila Ayub Khan is the only female minister in the cabinet who was elected on a reserved seat. The portfolios of cabinet members were not immediately announced.

After his oath, Rathore thanked the PPP’s top leadership, including President Asif Ali Zardari and Talpur, for bestowing upon him the premier responsibility.