A crucial meeting of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will be held today (Saturday) to finalise its strategy for forming a new government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and senior party leader Faryal Talpur are expected to attend the parliamentary party meeting.

The session will discuss plans for the removal of incumbent AJP Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq and pave the way for the formation of a new government.

Two months ago, Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq had commanded the support of 45 members in the 53-member AJK Legislative Assembly, including the backing from the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, 24 members from the PTI forward bloc, 13 from the PPP, and eight from the PML-N.

However, his political standing weakened when four members of the PTI forward bloc — Shahida Saghir, Javed Butt, Ali Shan Sohni, and Rafiq Nayar — joined the PPP, while Akmal Sargala aligned himself with the PML-N.

Following these defections, the PPP’s strength in the Assembly rose to 17 members and the PML-N’s to nine.

Despite these shifts, the sources said Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq continued to enjoy the backing of around 40 lawmakers.