AJK SC lifts disqualification of former PM Tanveer Ilyas

• Ilyas had been disqualified for two years.
• He appealed against the high court decision.
• Ilyas was sent packing in April 2023.

MUZAFFARBAD: The Supreme Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK SC) has lifted the disqualification of former prime minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas.

Ilyas, while he was the prime minister, had been disqualified for two years in April 2023 by the AJK High Court. He later filed an appeal in the AJK Supreme Court, seeking relief from the ruling.

Ilyas, a loyalist of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), offered an apology for contempt of court before the Supreme Court, which resulted in the reversal of his disqualification.

The top court of the region lifted the disqualification just two months before his sentence's term was supposed to end — April 2025.

Ilyas had criticised the judiciary during a public gathering for issuing stay orders in cases related to government affairs.

Following days of uncertainty after his disqualification, the Legislative Assembly of AJK had elected Chaudhry Anwarul Haq as the new prime minister.

Ilyas was also arrested last year in May for allegedly launching an attackg on a company’s office. However, he was granted bail in the case within a few days and released from jail.