Held Kashmir PM Yaqoob Khan manages to hold 'disgruntled' allies together

Islamabad, Aug.26 (ANI): With the ten-point charter of demands forwarded by the Jammu Kashmir Muslim League being accepted by the Pakistan held Kashmir government, Prime Minister Sardar Yaqoob Khan seems to have avoided a further fall out in the ruling coalition, but temporarily.

The two main allies of the held Kashmir government, the Muslim Conference (MC) forward bloc led by Sardar Farooq Haider and People's Muslim League led by former prime minister Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry had threatened to walk out of the alliance over the appointment of senior PPP leader Chaudhry Mohammad Yasin as adviser on local government.

Both the parties were of the view that a non-elected person should not be appointed as an adviser with the status of a minister having executive powers, The Dawn reports.

According to sources some federal ministers were trying to build a new alliance in the region under which the PPP's held Kashmir chief Chaudhry Majeed was tipped to be appointed as new Prime Minister throwing out Yaqoob.

Sources said that a close-door meeting was held at the residence of Barrister Sultan Mehmood in Islamabad in which it was Chaudhry Yasin would remain adviser on local government but without any executive authority.

It was also decided that Sardar Naeem Khan, an MLA and brother of senior MC leader Sardar Sikendar Hayat Khan would be given cabinet berth as Minister for Rural Development.

Prime Minister Yaqoob Khan has also assured the displeased allies that he would not accept federal government's interference beyond rules laid down under the Interim Constitution of 1974. (ANI)