By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: A full bench of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) High Court on Tuesday disqualified Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas on the basis of contempt of court.
This marks the first time that an AJK premier has been dismissed for such an offense.
Located in the western portion of the larger Kashmir region, the self-governing entity of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has been a point of contention between India and Pakistan, with Pakistan administering the region since 1947.
The decision to remove Ilyas from office came after both the Muzaffarabad High Court and Supreme Court issued separate notices to the AJK Prime Minister, calling on him to explain his use of derogatory language against judges during public meetings and speeches over the past few months. The notices also accused him of threatening judges.
During a function in Islamabad on Saturday, Ilyas reportedly indirectly blamed the judiciary for interfering with the executive and affecting the performance of his government through the grant of stay orders.
He specifically referred to a $15 million Saudi-funded education sector project that had been held up due to a stay order issued by the court, and also took issue with the “de-sealing by the courts of tobacco factories involved in tax evasion to the tune of billions of rupees.”
During his appearance before the High Court on Tuesday , Ilyas was indicted for contempt of court.
Although he offered an unconditional apology to the court and expressed remorse for any hurt caused, the court rejected his apology, citing concerns that he may repeat his actions in the future. As a result, the court disqualified Ilyas from the legislative assembly and sentenced him to stay until the rising of the court.
Ilyas, a member of former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was elected as the 14th prime minister of Azad Kashmir on April 18, 2022, without any opposition.
The AJK Election Commission later de-notified Ilyas from his seat in the AJK Legislative Assembly.
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