Raja Mumtaz Hussain Rathore

He was born into a wealthy landowning Rathore Muslim Rajput family in the Haveli District located today in Azad Kashmir. As a student he founded the Jammu Kashmir National Student Federation{{cite web|url=http://www.jknsf.50webs.com/ |title=Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation |website=JKNSF|access-date=3 April 2021}} and, upon completing his education, became a lawyer. In 1970, he ran for his first election as a candidate for the Muslim Conference, and became an AJK Assembly member for Upper Haveli. He also joined the Freedom Movement political party (Tehreek-e-Azadi).

At the suggestion of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, he joined Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP). In 1975 he was elected as a PPP candidate and became the Senior Minister of Abdul Hamid Khan's PPP-led government. Portfolios held thereafter included Finance, Forests and Revenue Minister. He won five consecutive elections. He also served as governor of Khuiratta for a brief period.

Rathore was elected Prime Minister under the fourth Assembly in May 1990 with his tenure officially starting on 29 June.{{cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1991/07/05/Pakistan-government-arrests-prime-minister-of-Kashmir/1600678686400/ |title=Pakistan government arrests prime minister of Kashmir |website=UPI|access-date=3 April 2021}} He served as Prime Minister until 1991, when he was ousted and arrested after accusing Nawaz Sharif of rigging the state election. Rathore annulled the results and called for new elections to be held, resulting in the Pakistani government proclaiming his actions illegal and removing him from the office. {{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/06/world/state-prime-minister-ousted-in-pakistan-in-election-dispute.html |title=State Prime Minister Ousted in Pakistan In Election Dispute |website=The New York Times|access-date=3 April 2021 |orig-date=6 July 1991}} His arrest lead to protests in Azad Kashmir and he was released after a few days. His political career continued and, after his tenure as Prime Minister ended, Rathore lead nearly 2,000 constituents in a protest march to the Azad Kashmiri capital Muzaffarabad in 1993. He was arrested, allegedly along with many other protesters.{{cite web|url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad8a1f.html |title=Pakistan: Background information on Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas |website=Refworld|access-date=3 April 2021}} Afterward, Rathore was elected the Speaker of the Assembly on 30 July 1996.{{cite web|url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abc19c.html |title=Pakistan: Results of the 30 June 1996 elections in Azad Kashmir |website=Refworld|access-date=3 April 2021}}

Raja Mumtaz Hussain Rathore died of heart failure on 16 June 1999 after being taken to a hospital in Rawalpindi. He was buried in the same graveyard as his mother in his native town Pullangi (District Haveli). Each year on 20 May, a memorial is held in his memory, attended by state and national leadership in his hometown.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}} His son Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore has also pursued a political career, including a General Secretary position in the PPP.{{cite web|url=https://nation.com.pk/25-Mar-2017/ppp-ajk-gets-new-managers |title=PPP AJK gets new ‘managers’ |website=The Nation|access-date=5 April 2021}}

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{{Prime Ministers of Azad Kashmir}}

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Category:1999 deaths

Category:Jammu and Kashmir politicians

Category:Pahari Pothwari people

Category:1943 births

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