MUZAFFARABAD: Barrister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gilani, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate, formally submitted his nomination papers on Friday for the upcoming election of the prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). This development follows PML-N President Nawaz Sharif’s recent announcement naming Gilani as the party’s nominee for the AJK premiership.
Gilani, who secured his position in the AJK Legislative Assembly through a reserved technocrat seat, was joined by fellow PML-N candidates Col (retd) Waqar Noor, Dr Mustafa Bashir Abbasi, Raja Saqib Majeed, and Mir Akbar, all of whom also filed their nomination papers for the prime ministerial election.
In a significant development, the AJK Legislative Assembly convened today to elect the new prime minister. The election schedule specified that nomination papers were to be submitted between 9:30am and 10:30am on August 28, followed by a scrutiny process from 10:30am to 10:45am. The official list of candidates was set to be displayed at 11am, with a withdrawal window open from 11am to 11:30am. The final candidate list was expected to be released by noon.
The prime ministerial election is slated for 2pm, immediately after Friday prayers, with the oath-taking ceremony for the newly elected prime minister scheduled at 4pm at the Presidency. The AJK Legislative Assembly comprises 53 seats; however, its current operational strength is 46 members since elections for seven seats in the Poonch and Sudhnoti districts remain pending.
The PML-N enjoys the backing of 32 assembly members, including support from its ally, the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Dast-o-Bazu (JK ADB), while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) holds 14 seats.
