MUZAFFARABAD, Jan 3: A resolution seeking vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan was tabled in the Legislative Assembly Secretariat here on Saturday, proposing the name of Haji Mohammad Yaqoob as his successor.

The resolution was moved by Raja Farooq Haider, president of Muslim Conference (Forward Block), under Section 18 of AJK's interim constitution which makes it mandatory for the mover to name the successor of the incumbent, and rule 17 (1) of assembly's Rules of Procedure.

Mr Haider handed over the resolution to LA Speaker Shah Ghulam Qadir in the presence of media personnel in his chamber. The resolution was supported by a requisition document signed by 17 lawmakers, calling for the assembly session for discussion and voting on it.

Mr Qadir told reporters on the occasion that he had duly informed President Raja Zulqarnain Khan of the no-confidence motion and had summoned the session on Tuesday (January 6) at 11am for voting.

The voting would be held through show of hands and he would also cast his vote, said the speaker, adding that prior to that he would give floor first to Mr Haider (mover) and then to the incumbent prime minister for their views on the resolution.

The current strength of the 49-member assembly is 48 and 25 members are required to remove the prime minister.

Mr Haider claimed that the motion would be passed by at least 30 votes.

In the resolution, Mr Haider stated: “He earnestly believed that Sardar Attique led government had lost the trust of majority for committing serious violations of rules, merit and constitution as well as financial and administrative irregularities and blunders.”

“This government deviated from its ideological base by supporting former president Pervez Musharraf's four-point formula instead of the UN resolutions on Kashmir, proposed conversion of ceasefire line into ‘line of commerce’ and established relations with pro-India politicians and rulers on the other side which had necessitated its ouster,” he added.

Describing the next setup as a “broad-based national government”, he said it would try its best to deliver to the masses under the premiership of Mr Yaqoob.

Interestingly, while apparently Shah Ghulam Qadir, Chaudhry Mohammad Aziz and Col (retired) Raja Mohammad Nasim were serious candidates for the coveted slot, the candidature of Mr Yaqoob had come out of the blue. Insiders told Dawn that in view of “one or the other reservation by one or other group” about the “potential candidates” the three top leaders in the anti-prime minister camp – Sardar Sikandar Hayat (MC-FB), Barrister Sultan Mahmood (PML) and Chaudhry Abdul Majeed (PPAJK) – had finally agreed upon Mr Yaqoob's name late on Friday evening.

On the other hand, when contacted, Sardar Attique expressed confidence about the failure of no-confidence motion though he welcomed it “as a democratic right of his opponents.”

“Premature claims do not sound good but I tell you a stronger government would continue to serve the masses under my leadership for the next two and a half years with more determination,” he said.

Asked if his colleagues would attend or abstain from the Tuesday's session, he said any final decision in this regard would be taken by his parliamentary party.

“Basically it is the responsibility of my opponents to prove their majority (in the house),” he said.

Meanwhile, there were unconfirmed reports that two more ministers - Akbar Ibrahim and Raja Munsif Dad - had quit the prime minister’ camp and joined the forward block.