Islamabad, The Prime Minister of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi has resigned following an uprising against him in the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Which is another big shock for former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Niazi, who was elected by PTI president Imran Khan, resigned on Thursday. Nine party MPs had moved a no-confidence motion against Niazi to replace him with party regional chairman Sardar Tanvir Ilyas as POK’s prime minister. A few days earlier, Imran Khan had lost a vote of no-confidence in the National Assembly.
“I want to resign as Prime Minister under Article 15 (1) of the Constitution,” Niaji wrote in a resignation letter sent to POK President Sultan Mahmoud Chaudhry on April 19.
According to the Dawn newspaper, the Secretary of State for Presidential Affairs, Dr. Asif Hussain confirmed the acceptance of Niazi’s resignation on behalf of Shah Chaudhry and said that it had been sent to the chief secretary for issuing a formal notification.
Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi became the Prime Minister last year after PTI won six seats in the six-member House. India has dismissed the POK election as a mere show and said it was an attempt by Pakistan to cover up its illegal occupation.
Reacting to the election in POK, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that Pakistan has no right over these Indian territories and it should evacuate all those Indian territories. Where it has been illegally occupied.
“Such an exercise would neither cover up the illegal occupation by Pakistan nor cover up human rights violations, exploitation and deprivation of liberty in these occupied territories,” he said.
According to The Dawn, ruling party lawmakers have accused Niazi of losing parliamentary confidence, failing to raise the Kashmir issue and failing to implement the party’s manifesto, as well as maladministration, nepotism and violating standards.