Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq

Chaudhry Anwar ul Haq is a Pakistani politician from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). He served as the 15th Prime Minister of AJK between April 2023 and November 2025, succeeding Sardar Tanveer Ilyas.

He was a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) until September 7, 2023, when he was expelled from the party along with a group of political defectors.

Early life and family Anwar was born in Bhimber, Azad Kashmir, into a politically active family of the Jat community, as his father Chaudhry Suhbat Ali was part of the 1947 Poonch rebellion which liberated current Azad Kashmir from the Dogras, while his brother Lt General (r) Chaudhary Ikram ul Haq is a former Defence Secretary (2018-2020).

Political career Anwar was elected to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly in the 2006 Azad Kashmiri general election from LA-7 Bhimber-III as a candidate of the People's Muslim League. He defeated Chaudhry Tariq Farooq.

On 16 August 2010, he was elected as the Speaker of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. He succeeded Shah Ghulam Qadir of the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (AJKMC).

He contested the 2011 Azad Kashmiri general election from LA-7 Bhimber-III as a candidate of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), but was unsuccessful. He received 26,509 votes and was defeated by Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, a candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML(N)).

He contested the 2016 Azad Kashmiri general election from LA-7 Bhimber-III as an independent candidate, but was defeated by Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, a candidate of the PML(N). Anwar received 27,676 votes while Farooq received 30,339 votes.

He was re-elected to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly in the 2021 general election from LA-7 Bhimber-III as a candidate of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He received 38,308 votes and defeated Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, a candidate of the (PML(N)).

On 3 August 2021, he was elected as the Speaker of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly with 32 votes, defeating Faisal Mumtaz Rathore of the PPP. He succeeded the outgoing Speaker Shah Ghulam Qadir of the PML(N).

On 7 September 2023, Dawn reported that the Kashmir chapter of the PTI had expelled Anwar in a crackdown against dissidents who had sided against Imran Khan's preferred candidate Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi.

He contested the 2026 Azad Kashmiri general election from LA-7 Bhimber-III as an independent candidate, but was unsuccessful. He received 25,534 votes and was defeated by Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, a candidate of PML(N).