The decision was taken during a high-level meeting of regional office-bearers and ticket holders, chaired by PML-N AJK President Shah Ghulam Qadir.
The PML-N holds eight seats in the AJK Assembly, with four members elected from constituencies in AJK, three from refugee constituencies in Pakistan, and one female member nominated on a reserved seat.
Among them, the regional president Qadir, former premier Raja Farooq Haider, and Chaudhry Ismail are not part of the government. Of the remaining five members, four are ministers and one advisor with ministerial status.
Party workers have long voiced concerns over the PML-N’s participation in the coalition government, fearing it could negatively impact their electoral prospects.
This sentiment has fueled persistent calls for withdrawing from the coalition, with Mr Haider leading the charge and Mr Qadir also expressing similar reservations.
However, ministers Waqar Ahmed Noor, Sardar Aamir Altaf, Raja Muhammad Siddique, Ahmad Raza Qadri, and advisor Nisara Abbasi have resisted such calls.
Recently, they wrote to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, requesting his intervention to allow them to continue their roles in the cabinet. They alleged that internal rifts within the party, rather than their cabinet positions, were the primary cause of the party’s struggles.
The letter, notably not addressed or copied to party supremo Nawaz Sharif, drew sharp criticism from workers on social media.
All five cabinet members avoided Wednesday’s meeting. However, Mr Ismail, who had also signed the letter to PM Sharif, was in attendance and offered an emotional apology, which was accepted.
The meeting involved extensive discussions on various issues, including the potential withdrawal from the coalition government.
During the meeting, Mr Qadir and Mr Haider publicly disassociated themselves from the government as members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). They also criticized the controversial contents of the letter sent to PM Sharif and the absence of the ministers from the meeting, deeming it a violation of party discipline.
Following the deliberations, Mr Qadri was suspended from his positions as vice president and member of the central working committee. Mr Noor, Mr Altaf, Mr Siddique, and Ms Abbasi were also removed from the central working committee.
Exercising his authority, Mr Qadir approved the formation of a five-member disciplinary committee and decided to issue show-cause notices to the ministers within seven days.
Meeting with PM Shehbaz Sharif
Earlier in the day, the six signatories of the letter and Mr Qadir, Mr Haider, Mr Farooq, and Mr Minhas attended a 30-minute meeting on party affairs with Prime Minister Sharif at his office.
According to a participant, the prime minister listened to both sides and said that, since this was a party matter, he would consult the relevant leadership and convene another meeting within ten days to announce a decision.
Mr Qadir shared the details of this meeting with attendees at the subsequent party gathering.
“We informed the prime minister about the poor performance of the coalition government, injustices toward PML-N workers, and the deteriorating state of law and order and ideological direction in AJK,” he said.
“The PML-N cannot continue to bear the burden of the coalition’s failures.”
In his address, Mr Haider dismissed rumors of division within the party and affirmed his support for Mr Qadir.
“Workers should mobilize in their constituencies to strengthen the party. The PML-N will contest the next elections with full force,” he declared.
Mr Farooq encouraged party members to stay hopeful and maintain close contact with the leadership.
“We will resume the journey of development and rectify the ideological damage caused during this tenure,” he asserted.
Tariq Naqash
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