ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday announced a boycott of the upcoming Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections, saying it would not participate in the electoral process under the prevailing circumstances.
In a statement, the party reiterated its solidarity with the people of Azad Kashmir and reaffirmed its support for their democratic rights and right to self-determination.
In a separate political development, former AJK prime minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas formally joined the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) following a meeting with party president Abdul Aleem Khan.
The move is being viewed as a significant boost for the IPP’s presence in Azad Kashmir politics, with several senior political figures also announcing their decision to join the party.
Among those joining the IPP were Azad Kashmir Agriculture Minister Chaudhry Ali Shan Soni, former Health Minister Ansar Anwar Abbasi and former adviser to the AJK prime minister Sardar Iftikhar Rasheed.
Welcoming the new entrants, IPP President Abdul Aleem Khan said the inclusion of experienced political leaders would further strengthen the party and help expand its organisational structure across Azad Kashmir and other parts of the country.
Sardar Tanveer Ilyas and the other leaders expressed confidence in Abdul Aleem Khan’s leadership, saying the IPP’s agenda of public service, good governance and national development had influenced their decision to join the party.
Political observers believe the induction of several prominent leaders from Azad Kashmir could reshape the region’s political landscape and influence future political alignments ahead of the elections.
Tanveer Ilyas had resigned from the basic membership of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) a day earlier after differences over the allocation of party tickets for the upcoming AJK elections.
