Muzaffarabad: Newly elected Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore said on Monday that assuming the office of Prime Minister was a great honour and responsibility for him, thanking God for entrusting such a mandate to a political worker like himself. Addressing the Legislative Assembly after his election, he said his commitment was to deliver results in a short span of time with honesty, transparency and public service as guiding principles.
Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore expressed gratitude to the leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party, recalling the decades-long political trust his family enjoyed within the party. He praised Zulfikar Ali Bhutto for appointing his father Raja Mumtaz Hussein Rathore as Senior Minister, Benazir Bhutto for appointing him as Prime Minister, and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for nominating him as Leader of the House today. He also thanked President Asif Ali Zardari, Faryal Talpur, parliamentary colleagues, and members from the PML-N, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, for their support. The new Prime Minister honoured his late mother for her courage, guidance and unwavering support, and thanked the people of Haveli for electing him.
In his address, PM Rathore emphasised that politics was about sacrifice, not personal gain. He said his family lived a simple life, and despite holding key positions, they owned only one house built through friends’ support, which he later sold in 2021. He rebutted the perception that rulers come for luxuries, saying public service must remain the core of governance. He assured the opposition that resources and development funds would be distributed fairly and vowed to foster cooperation across the political spectrum.
The Prime Minister announced major administrative reforms, including strict downsizing, limiting secretaries to a single official vehicle, abolishing posts of senior additional secretaries and additional secretaries, and merging TEVTA with the Education Department. A new transport policy is to be formulated, and until then, no officer below grade 18—except those from the administration, police and monitoring engineers—will use official vehicles. All departments must deposit extra vehicles into the government transport pool within a week. He reaffirmed that biometric attendance would be non-negotiable.
Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore announced the activation of the Public Service Commission and cancellation of notifications that had withdrawn posts advertised before January 1, 2020. The PSC will conduct examinations within one month and appoint successful candidates. He also set a minimum 50 percent quota for direct recruitment on all posts below grade 18 and committed to strict implementation of the Third Party Act across all government departments, including LG Board, PDO, development authorities and AJK Bank.
He declared uniform time-scale policies for all departments and announced the abolishment of caretaker posts where section officers and assistant directors already exist. To address public grievances, he said open kutcheries would be held regularly in every district by the Prime Minister, ministers, chief secretary, secretaries and department heads. Complaint boxes will be placed in the PM and Chief Secretary offices and opened fortnightly.
The Prime Minister also pledged judicial reforms in consultation with the higher judiciary to ensure timely administrative justice. He vowed to work with PML-N leadership to secure federal agreements on hydel projects, improve internet speed, and strengthen local government systems. He announced regularisation of all scale-1 employees serving on permanent posts with no legal disputes, as well as an additional month’s salary for all scale-1 staff. He further announced upgrading driver posts to BPS-5 and equalising police constables’ privileges with Punjab. Constables performing VIP duties will also receive TA/DA like other staff.
PM Rathore announced 60 days’ remission for prisoners across AJK, excluding those convicted of terrorism, espionage, Qisas, Diyat or anti-state offences. He said the political deadlock had finally ended and attributed the positive atmosphere in the Assembly to the formation of a political government. He acknowledged that the office of Prime Minister is a tough responsibility but said it could become easier with the support of colleagues and workers.
Speaking on the Action Committee, he said it was a ground reality and must be taken along. Multiple rounds of talks had been held and public issues would be resolved responsibly. Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, he added, directed him to ensure zero delay in resolving matters falling under the AJK government’s authority, while guaranteeing that issues related to the federal domain would be handled in coordination with Islamabad.
He vowed meaningful governance, saying the system—not just faces—would change. He concluded that if the PPP delivered effectively over the coming months and returned to power, he would consider it an honour to serve again, even as a simple MLA.
