EX AJK PM FAROOQ HAIDER SEEKS IMMEDIATE INTERVENTION OF AJK PRESIDENT TO STOP UNCONSTITUTIONAL INDUCTION OF A MEMBER OF AJK ELECTION COMMISSION

English , Kashmir - آزاد جموں کشمیر , Snippets , / Monday, January 13th, 2025

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Altaf Hamid Rao.
MIRPUR ( AJK): Jan 12: While expressing his reservations over an alleged move by the AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq to make appointment of a retired session judge, as member of Azad Jammu Kashmir Election Commission allegedly in violation of the Interim Constitution of AJK Act – 1974, former PML (N) AJK President and ex Prime Minister of Azad Jammu Kashmir Raja Farooq Haider has sought immediate intervention of the President of Azad Jammu Kashmir state Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry to address the issue in line with his authorotative parameters to this direction, says a press release issued by media wing of the ex PM Farooq Haider.

In his recent written letter dated January 10, 2025, addressed to the President of Azad Jammu Kashmir Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry over the matter of appointment of members in Azad Jammu and Kashmir election commission , former Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir Raja Mohammad Farooq Haider Khan demanded the intervention of the President of the state, Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry.

Raja Farooq Haider Kham maintained in his letter that the appointment of the member of the was being done in violation of the interim constitution of AJK. He continued that next transparent elections in AJK will not be possible in the presence of, what he observed, the controversial AJK Election Commission, to be emerged contrary to sub-section 5 of Article 50, following future induction of members of the commission through such manner.

Inviting the attention of the President of Azad Jammu Kashmir. through a written letter, Raja Farooq Haider Khan said “I would like to point out that you should use your authority to stop any unconstitutional exercise. It is heard that the Prime Minister wants to appoint a person who does not meet the qualifications mentioned in the constitution as a member. Through such unconstitutional exercise, the move will tarnish the transparency of the entire election process in AJK”، Haider asserted.

The Election Commission in Azad Jammu Kashmir consists of the Chief Election Commissioner and 2 members. The posts of 2 members are already vacant. The incumbent Chief Election Commissioner of AJK is relinquishing the office on January 13 on completion of his stipulated 05 years period, Farooq Haider underlined and feared that a constitutional crisis might arise if the commission falls vacant beyond the stipulated period.

Quoting the sources, Farooq Haider underlined in his statement that the AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar Haq was allegedly striving to make appointment of one of his close favourites as a member of the AJK Election Commission. “If it happens so it would be the possibility of violation of the Constitution”, he underlined.

According to the laws framed for the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner of AJK under 13thamendmentin AJK constitution, consultation with the Leader of the Opposition is mandatory and the two members appointed in the Election Commission, including the Chief Election Commissioner, must also be neutral.

In case of agreement of all the parliamentary parties of Azad Jammu Kashmir, a neutral election commission can be formed, Farooq Haider observed and alleged that the incumbent AJK government was trying to subjugate the Azad Jammu Kashmir Election Commission by appointing one member. ” In such scenario. questions will be raised on the transparency of the coming AJK Legislative Assembly election”, he opined.

It may be added that before Raja Farooq Haider’s above letter, addressed to the AJK President, leader of the opposition in AJK Legislative Assembly, Khawaja Farooq Ahmed, has also demanded the government to consult on the appointments in the new Election Commissioner of Azad Jammu Kashmir besides two members of the Election Commission to complete due constitutional and legal structure of the Commission