Former Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) prime minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas has resigned from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), citing differences over the distribution of party tickets for the upcoming AJK elections.

Ilyas submitted his resignation from the party’s basic membership to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, with party sources saying disagreements over ticket allocation were the main reason behind his decision.

He had sought party tickets from the Central Bagh, Neelum Valley and Pachiot constituencies but was not nominated for any of them. The denial of the Central Bagh ticket is understood to have been the key factor behind his resignation.

According to sources, Ilyas believed the ticket distribution process was not carried out fairly and expressed strong reservations over the party’s decisions.

He is currently consulting close political associates and is expected to announce his future political strategy at a press conference in the coming days.

Ilyas began his political career with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and became AJK prime minister following the 2021 elections. He was later disqualified in a contempt of court case, forcing him to leave office.

He subsequently joined the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) before moving to the PPP. His latest resignation marks another shift in his political career ahead of the AJK polls.