No-confidence vote against AJK Prime Minister Anwarul-Haq scheduled for today at 3:00 p.m.

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly will vote today (Monday) on the no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Chaudhry Anwarul-Haq.

The special session, scheduled for 3 pm, will be chaired by President Chaudhry Latif Akbar. The resolution seeking Haq’s removal was submitted to the assembly secretariat on Friday.

The PPP has nominated Faisal Rathore for the top post. Rathore also has the support of the PML-N, which backed the motion but decided not to join the government.

Security has been beefed up around the Assembly Secretariat, the Ministers’ Block and the Prime Minister’s Secretariat. Entry is restricted to legislators and secretariat staff, while media personnel will only be allowed with official passes. All members will enter the House together.

The PPP has taken steps to consolidate its position in the region following President Asif Ali Zardari’s political roadmap unveiled last month.

Read: Bilawal says PPP is fit to form government in AJK

The PPP formally moved a no-confidence motion against AJK Chief Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq last week and nominated Faisal Rathore for the top spot, submitting the resolution with the required signatures.

Under assembly rules, the motion must be placed on the business list within three to seven days, after which the president is constitutionally required to set a vote date. Once the date is set, the session cannot be suspended until the vote is held.

Political activity in Islamabad also intensified ahead of the vote, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari holding a series of meetings to discuss the expected change in AJK and the proposed power-sharing formula. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and senior PML-N leaders also attended the consultations.

Read more: PPP and PML-N at odds over AJK government’s mandate

Although the PML-N signed the no-confidence motion, the party decided not to support the PPP candidate for prime minister and will instead sit in the opposition seats, positioning itself for the July 2026 elections.

With the PML-N’s backing, the strength of the PPP-led side in the 52-member AJK Assembly would have risen to 30, well above the simple majority needed to oust Haq.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Haq has refused to resign, saying he will face a vote in the House. He continued with official meetings at his residence and dismissed speculation about his resignation.