Dr Najeeb Naqi, the candidate from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), was elected as the president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Thursday after receiving 32 votes in the presidential election conducted at the AJK Legislative Assembly in Muzaffarabad.
The voting process commenced at 11 a.m., with assembly members casting their ballots to choose the new president. The session was briefly adjourned at 1 p.m. before the polling concluded and the ballots were counted in the presence of polling agents.
Naqi secured a decisive victory by garnering 32 votes, while his opponent, Chaudhry Latif Akbar of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), obtained 13 votes. This result granted the PML-N candidate a clear majority in the election.
Belonging to the PML-N’s AJK chapter, Naqi will now take on the constitutional responsibilities of the presidency following the conclusion of the electoral process.
Chaudhry Latif Akbar, the PPP contender, has previously occupied significant constitutional roles in AJK, including serving as acting president and as speaker of the AJK Legislative Assembly. He ran for president after losing in the general elections.
The election concluded with the vote counting carried out under the supervision of polling agents, and the final results were promptly announced.
In a significant development, the oath-taking ceremony for the newly elected president is scheduled for later on Thursday at the President’s House in Muzaffarabad. The event is expected to be attended by political leaders, government officials, lawmakers, and other invited guests, with invitations already distributed.
Supporters of Naqi celebrated enthusiastically outside the AJK Legislative Assembly following the announcement of his victory. A large crowd gathered near the assembly secretariat, where PML-N workers expressed their joy by beating drums, distributing sweets, and showering flower petals to welcome the new president.
With the election process completed, Dr Najeeb Naqi is set to formally assume office after taking the oath later today, marking a new chapter in the leadership of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Leave an opinion