ISLAMABAD: Sardar Tanvir Ilyas, comparatively a new entrant in Kashmiri politics, is likely to be next prime minister as Barrister Sultan Mahmood , his strong competitor for the post, has been offered an olive branch to become the president of the Azad Jammu Kashmir.
Sources said Barrister Sultan was given an alternative offer by his party leadership during one of the consultative meetings in hand held in Islamabad on Thursday to get removed final ‘hurdle’ in Sardar Tanvir Ilyas’s way to become the prime minister of AJK.
The package offered to Barrister Sultan Mahmood included making him the president of AJK once PTI government formation completes. The ticket for seat vacated by Barrister Sultan Mahmood will be awarded to his son and later after winning the by-election, his son will be inducted as a minister in AJK cabinet.
Barrister Sultan Mahmood is longstanding and prominent leader of PTI in AJK and he was eyeing himself as a next prime minister of the AJK in case of the winning of his party in the general elections 2021.
Meanwhile, Sardar Tanvir Ilyas entered in the scene with a big bang. He managed to get PTI ticket to contest the election in LA 15 Bagh and luckily he won also. Before the general elections, Sardar Tanvoi Ilyas managed to get soft corner for himself from the concerned quarters.
At this stage, Barrister Sulatan Mahmood also used his contacts to counter Sardar Tanvir Ilyas’s shrewd move, but it was perhaps too late for him to counter well- planner strategy of Sardar Tanvir Ilyas who had meantime developed his circle of sympathizers around the prime minister Imran Khan.
Smooth sailing of PTI in AJK for government formation depends on compromising of Barrister Sultan Mahmood to the new situation. In the case he refuses to get allured by the new offer, it will create a new situation for PTI leadership.
A MLA- elect who spoke to NEWSMAN on anonymity said the post elections situation has entered into an interesting phase. “ I think PM (Imran Khan) is in a fix our deciding his opening batsman for AJK”, the MLA elect concluded .
