Category: AJK

An important meeting on preparations for the local body elections was held under the chairmanship of AJK Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, an official press release said.

Senior Election Commission Member Khawaja Muhammad Ahsan, Member Syed Nazir-ul-Hasan Gilani, Secretary Ayaz Bashir, Election Commissioner Local Bodies Raja Rashid Mahmood and Superintendent Local Bodies Raja Mukhtiar Hussain attended the meeting.

The commission decided to recommend necessary amendments in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Local Government Act, 1990 regarding the holding of local body elections. A committee was also constituted to prepare recommendations after examining local government election-related legislation in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh.

It was further decided that an estimate of the budget required for holding the local government elections would be prepared and submitted to the government. The commission maintained that conducting local government elections is its constitutional responsibility and that it was prepared to fulfil its mandate.

The last local government elections were held in Azad Kashmir in 2022 under the Local Government Act, 1990 and related election rules.

The court’s stay order puts the government’s move to reconsider the Education Package 2026 on hold pending further proceedings in the case.

The development comes after petitions were filed before the High Court against the Cabinet decision, with the petitioners seeking judicial intervention over the proposed review of the education package.

Further proceedings will determine the legal status of the Cabinet’s decision and the government’s authority to revisit the package.

According to reports, those removed include the chairman and members of the Zakat Council, chairmen of Zakat committees in 10 districts, constituency-level chairmen, and around 2,300 chairmen of local Zakat committees.

The chairman and members of the Ulema and Mashaikh Council are also being removed, and the relevant summary has been forwarded to the prime minister. The Tajweed-ul-Quran coordinator is being removed as well.

Earlier, those appointed to discretionary posts on the Chairman Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission, the Investment Board, and the Cultural Academy were removed.

Government sources said the steps are aimed at better utilisation of public resources and a more efficient administrative structure.

Asim Khalid Awan has been transferred from Deputy Commissioner Bagh and appointed Deputy Commissioner Muzaffarabad. Syed Mumtaz Hussain Kazmi moves from Deputy Commissioner Poonch to Deputy Commissioner Bagh, while Faisal Mughal has been shifted from Deputy Commissioner Jhelum Valley to Deputy Commissioner Bhimber.

Munir Ahmed Qureshi has been removed as Deputy Commissioner Muzaffarabad and appointed Deputy Secretary Higher Education. Iffat Azam has been posted from Additional Deputy Commissioner Kotli to Deputy Commissioner Jhelum Valley, and Chaudhry Muhammad Tariq moves from Deputy Commissioner Bhimber to Director Industries and Commerce.

Muhammad Razaullah Khan has been removed from the post of Director Industries and Commerce and has not been assigned a new posting. Government sources said the transfers are part of ongoing administrative reforms.

The reshuffle comes as Prime Minister Barrister Iftikhar Gilani’s government pushes ahead with administrative and financial reforms, including the removal of discretionary appointments.