Barrister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gilani, representing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), filed his nomination papers on Friday to contest the AJK prime minister election in Muzaffarabad.
His filing follows a day after PML-N President Nawaz Sharif formally picked Gilani to represent the party in the race for the top office in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Gilani currently holds a reserved technocrat seat in the AJK Legislative Assembly.
He was not the only PML-N figure to step forward. Col (retd) Waqar Noor, Dr Mustafa Bashir Abbasi, Raja Saqib Majeed and Mir Akbar, all PML-N candidates, also filed their nomination papers for the AJK premiership on the same day.
Assembly Session Called for AJK Prime Minister Election
The AJK Legislative Assembly convened a special session on Friday to carry out the election of the region’s new prime minister. Under the announced schedule, candidates were required to submit their nomination papers between 9:30am and 10:30am on August 28, with a scrutiny period running from 10:30am to 10:45am immediately afterward.
The list of eligible candidates was set to be posted at 11am, giving contenders a half-hour window, until 11:30am, to withdraw their papers if they chose. The finalized candidate list was expected to be released by noon.
Voting for the AJK prime minister election was scheduled for 2pm, right after Friday prayers. Whoever wins the contest will be sworn into office at 4pm during a ceremony at the Presidency.
The assembly’s total sanctioned strength is 53 seats, though only 46 are currently filled, as elections for seven seats across Poonch and Sudhnoti districts have not yet taken place. Within the sitting assembly, PML-N commands the backing of 32 members, a tally that includes support from its coalition partner, the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Dast-o-Bazu (JK ADB). The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) holds 14 seats.
