ISLAMABAD : The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has finalized its decision to nominate Iftikhar Gilani as the party’s candidate for the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). The official announcement regarding the premiership will take place on August 28.
The decision was reached during a high-level consultative meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which focused on the parliamentary strategy for the AJK Legislative Assembly. Key party leaders attended the session, including Shah Ghulam Qadir, Raja Farooq Haider, Iftikhar Gilani, Rana Sanaullah, and Khawaja Saad Rafique. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the AJK Assembly were also in attendance.
According to the Secretary-General of PML-N AJK, the legislative assembly is scheduled to convene on Friday at 2:00 PM to proceed with the formal parliamentary process.
Additional Note: Overview of the 2026 AJK Elections
The 2026 Azad Jammu and Kashmir general elections marked a decisive political shift in the region’s legislative landscape. Held across three distinct phases between July 27 and August 10, 2026, the election covered 38 of the 45 directly contested general seats, spanning Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, and Poonch divisions alongside refugee constituencies across Pakistan.
The election campaign took place amidst political tensions and economic discussions, with major national parties competing aggressively to secure control of the 53-member assembly. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) emerged as the dominant force in the election, securing 25 general seats outright, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) won 12 seats. Following the conclusion of the general voting, the election for reserved seats for women, technocrats, ulema, and overseas Kashmiris further consolidated PML-N’s parliamentary position. With the support of independent and allied lawmakers, PML-N expanded its voting block to 32 seats, comfortably achieving the majority threshold required to form the regional government.
The successful completion of the three-phase election process paved the way for the administration of oaths to newly elected lawmakers and the election of key parliamentary positions, leading up to the final election and swearing-in of the new AJK Prime Minister.
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Tags: AJK Elections 2026, Azad Kashmir Prime Minister, PML-N, Iftikhar Gilani, Shehbaz Sharif, AJK Legislative Assembly, Kashmir Politics
