Pakistan-administered Kashmir gets new prime minister

Sardar Tanveer Ilyas of ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf elected unopposed as opposition boycotts vote

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – Sardar Tanveer Ilyas of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was elected as the new prime minister of Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Monday.

Ilyas, a businessman and close friend of Pakistan’s ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan, was elected unopposed, state-run Pakistan Television reported.

The opposition alliance led by the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) boycotted the vote.

Ilyas takes over from PTI’s Abdul Qayyum Niazi, who was prime minister for less than nine months before resigning last week as he faced a no-trust motion brought by his own party’s lawmakers.

The PTI won 32 seats in the July 2021 elections to secure a majority in the 53-member legislative assembly of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

The PPP stood second with 14 seats, while the PML-N came in third with seven seats.

Kaynak: