Daily Times

Following the disqualification of Azad Jammu and Kashmir prime minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas by the AJK High Court’s full court bench yesterday, Khawaja Farooq Ahmad has been appointed as acting AJK prime minister.

On Tuesday, the President’s House in Muzaffarabad issued a notification in this regard.

The summary was signed by AJK President Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry.

According to the notification, Khawaja Farooq Ahmad will serve as acting Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir until a new Leader of the House is appointed.

Mr. Ahmad is a seasoned politician who has been involved in politics for over three decades.

He rose to prominence after defeating his opponent in the election, former AJK Prime Minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum.

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) High Court rejected Prime Minister Ilyas’ apology for his comments about the judiciary on Tuesday and disqualified him for contempt of court.

The AJK Supreme Court and High Court summoned the prime minister for a hearing on a suo motu notice issued to seek clarification from him on his statement about the judiciary.

In its verdict, the AJK HC full court bench barred Mr Ilyas from serving in the legislative assembly for contempt of court.

Justice Chaudhry Khalid Rasheed read out the full bench decision of the AJK High Court, which sentenced the AJK premier until the court rose.

On Monday, the superior courts of AJK separately served notices on Mr Ilyas, requesting that he explain his position regarding his derogatory remarks about the superior judiciary in public speeches.

Mr Ilyas was summoned to appear separately before the high court and the Supreme Court on Tuesday, according to the notices served through his principal secretary.

Mr 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 a function in Islamabad over the weekend.