ISLAMABAD   -  In an unusual move, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has appointed Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Khan Gandapur as the head of its election campaign for general elections in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK).

A committee has been formed under the chairmanship of Gandapur that will “oversee and steer” the campaign of election for legislative assembly of AJK, says a notification issued by the Central Secretariat of PTI.  The notification issued by the Chief Organizer PTI Senator Saifullah Khan Nyazee says that Sardar Tanveer Alyas Khan will be the deputy chairman of the campaign committee while Khawaja Farooq Ahmed, Choudhry Muhammad Akhlaq and Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi will be its members.  Surprisingly, President PTI of AJK chapter Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry is not part of the campaign committee.

The committee shall establish a fully equipped control center for communications and media management,” the notification says adding that it shall “facilitate PTI candidates where required and prioritize reconciliation efforts for the party dissidents.” AJK level advertisements and tours of the national leaders shall also fall in the domain of this committee, it also says.   The Election Commission of Pakistan for more than once has barred the federal ministers and holders of public offices to participate in any election campaign and has termed such action a violation of its code of conduct.  The election commission of AJK has fixed July 25 as the polling day for the next general elections of the region’s legislative assembly. 

Meanwhile, PTI has started its formal election campaign for the AJK election. On Thursday, Gandapur along with Secretary General PTI Aamer Mehmood Kiani embarked on a four-day tour to the region. 

A large number of party supporters in the form of a rally are accompanying them, said a statement issued by the PTI’s Central Media Department. It said that the rally would reach Mirpur in AJK on Thursday night where the party leaders would kickstart campaign for the election.