PoK President rebels against former Pakistan PM Imran Khan, forms forward bloc in assembly

Muzaffarabad [PoK], April 18 : Pakistan-occupied Kashmir President Barrister Sultan has rebelled against former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and formed a forward bloc, Pakistan vernacular media Jang reported. The decision of the PoK President comes after the ouster of former PoK Prime Minister Sardar Tanvir Ilyas.

Sardar Tanvir Ilyas was ousted after the PoK court's disqualification orders, Jang reported. The prime ministerial candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will have to face a joint candidate from Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) and the new forward bloc. Chaudhry Rashid will be the opposition's face of the PoK PM-designate, Pakistan vernacular media Daily Ausaf reported.

Earlier on Monday, a session of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) Assembly to elect a new PM was adjourned without the election being held, Geo News reported. The election was announced after the disqualification of Sardar Tanveer Ilyas' by the court in a contempt case.

The session began at 3:30 pm (local time) under the chairmanship of PoK Legislative Assembly Speaker Riaz Ahmed. However, the session was adjourned without a new PM being elected. As per the Geo News report, the PTI enjoys a majority in the PoK Assembly.

PTI's path to securing a candidate loyal to Imran Khan as the PoK PM might be difficult as Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry has rebelled against his own party and created a forward bloc in the assembly. Chaudhry's forward bloc has the support of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Geo News reported.

Sardar Tanveer Ilyas was disqualified from being a member of the legislative assembly by PoK's High Court for contempt, Geo News reported. The court's decision came after Ilyas was summoned to the Supreme Court and High Court of the region for using a "threatening tone" in one of his speeches.

The court declared Ilyas ineligible from holding any public office and asked the Chief Election Commissioner Abdul Rasheed Sulehria to hold polls for a new prime minister.

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