- Advertisement -
MUZAFFARABAD, Nov 14 (APP): Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has nominated Faisal Mumtaz Rathore for the slot of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) prime minister after a no-confidence motion against present prime minister Chaudhry Anwar ul Haq.
Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, born on April 11, 1978, in Rawalpindi, is the son of the late former Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Mumtaz Hussain Rathore.
His mother, Begum Farhat Rathore, also served as a member of the AJK Legislative Assembly and as President of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Women’s Wing.
The Rathore family is regarded among the founding families of the PPP in Azad Kashmir.
Faisal Rathore received his early education in Rawalpindi and completed his graduation from the University of the Punjab.
His father held several key political positions, including Senior Minister after the 1975 elections, Prime Minister in 1990, Leader of the Opposition in 1991, and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in 1996.
Following Mumtaz Hussain Rathore’s passing, his elder son, Masood Mumtaz Rathore, was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1999 for the remainder of the term.
Faisal Mumtaz Rathore contested his first election from LA-17 (Haveli Kahuta) in 2006. He was first elected as a member of the AJK Legislative Assembly in 2011 on a PPP ticket and served in Chaudhry Abdul Majeed’s cabinet as Minister for Auqaf and Minister for Electricity. In 2016, he was arrested in a political case but was later acquitted.
On March 23, 2017, he was appointed General Secretary of PPP Azad Kashmir, a position he continues to hold. He was re-elected to the AJK Legislative Assembly in the 2021 elections and played an active role in the opposition.
In 2023, Faisal Rathore joined Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq’s coalition government as Minister for Local Government and Rural Development. He also heads the government’s negotiation committee tasked with dialogue with the Awami Action Committee.
Known for his reconciliatory nature, soft-spoken demeanor, and non-controversial political style, Faisal Mumtaz Rathore enjoys respect across political and military circles as well as among the Awami Action Committee and the general public. He also has experience in national media and previously hosted a regular program on BOL TV.
Faisal Mumtaz Rathore is considered a trusted associate of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Faryal Talpur within the PPP. He is known as a representative of the party’s ideological and middle-class segment.