MUZAFFARABAD(National Times)- PML-N\u2019s Barrister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gillani was sworn in as Azad Jammu and Kashmir\u2019s prime minister on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gillani took oath at a televised ceremony, where he expressed gratitude to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and the party\u2019s senior leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Addressing the gathering, the newly elected prime minister said he was thankful for the leadership\u2019s \u201caffection and faith\u201d in him and pledged to uphold that trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am thankful for the leadership and party\u2019s affection and faith in me, and I assure you that even if I have to work day and night, I will uphold this faith,\u201d Gillani said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He urged members of the Legislative Assembly to cooperate with him, stressing that \u201cwe must move forward together and build an AJK that is exemplary for the whole world\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOurs is a small region,\u201d Gillani said, noting that \u201csimilar to the rest of the country, AJK also has governance issues and unemployment\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy does anyone work in this country? It is so they can put food on the table, give their children a better education and afford to pay hospital bills,\u201d he said, stressing that the three points were \u201cthe basis on which his government will move forward\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He emphasised that the youth must be provided employment opportunities. \u201cWe have to take all possible efforts to ensure employment for the youth so they may not be led astray and continue on a path to a brighter future\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gillani stated that the hospitals in the region also needed improvement. \u201cIf we address these three things to even a minor extent, many of our tensions will be resolved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He expressed confidence that the PML-N majority in the legislative assembly will \u201cutilise the experience of senior members and energy of the youth in their ranks\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am confident that at the end of our tenure, AJK\u2019s prosperity and development will be used as an example all over Pakistan,\u201d he hoped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gillani was elected as PM after securing 30 of the 44 votes polled in the assembly earlier in the day. His sole contender was PPP\u2019s Sardar Mukhtar Ahmed Abbasi, who bagged 14 votes in the contest for the top office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AJK Assembly comprises 53 members, but its present strength is 46 \u2014 PML-N\u2019s being 32, including its allies, and PPP\u2019s 14 \u2014 because elections to seven seats in Poonch and Sudhnoti districts have yet to be held.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, 44 votes were polled in Friday\u2019s elections as the speaker did not cast his vote and PML-N regional president Shah Ghulam Qadir was not present in the assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qadir, along with former AJK premier Raja Farooq Haider, had previously opposed Gillani\u2019s nomination for the post. However, when assembly proceedings began on Friday, Haider entered the House alongside Gillani.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the votes were counted, Speaker Chaudhry Tariq Farooq announced the result, declaring Gillani as the winner amid clapping and slogans from the galleries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gillani has succeeded PPP\u2019s Rathore, who was elected as the prime minister in November 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following his election, PM Shehbaz congratulated him and expressed hope that he would \u201cplay an effective role in the development of AJK and the welfare of its people\u201d, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Citing an official statement, the report said PM Shehbaz credited PML-N leadership and workers\u2019 \u201chard work\u201d for the party\u2019s victory in AJK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said the federal government would continue extending all possible support for the development, prosperity and improved living standards of the people of AJK and termed the \u201ccontinuation of the democratic process in Azad Jammu and Kashmir a welcome development\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PPP\u2019s Yasin appointed opposition leader<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PPP regional president and senior parliamentarian Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin was appointed Leader of the Opposition in the AJK Legislative Assembly, as per a notification issued by Assembly Secretary Amjed Latif Abbasi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaker Farooq approved Yasin\u2019s appointment to the post \u2014 the second time he has held the office \u2014 under Rule 17(1), sub-rule (3) of the Rules of Procedure, completing the parliamentary setup in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He previously served as Leader of the Opposition during the PML-N government from 2016 to 2021 and has been involved in electoral politics since 1990, winning the 1990, 1996, 2011, 2016 and 2021 general elections, while losing the 1991 and 2006 polls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2021, he won from two constituencies, while in the recent elections he won one seat and lost the other. In 2001, he fielded his cousin, who also won the election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, Yasin has held several ministerial positions during PPP governments, including that of senior minister and acting prime minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a statement, he said the opposition had a vital role to play in a democratic society and pledged to perform the role responsibly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlthough we have serious reservations about the recent general elections, being a democratic party, we believe in strengthening democratic institutions. We will play our role in further strengthening the AJK Assembly and leave behind healthy democratic traditions,\u201d he said, adding that the opposition would appreciate every good step taken by the government but would \u201cfully oppose every wrong step\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe will support the government wherever it works for the people and will raise our voice wherever we find anything against their interests,\u201d Yasin added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gillani\u2019s nomination<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PML-N\u2019s decision to nominate Gillani was announced by PM Shehbaz at a meeting with four senior PML-N leaders from AJK in Islamabad, late on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The meeting, which took place at the Prime Min\u00adister\u2019s House, was attended by PML-N AJK President Shah Ghulam Qadir, his predecessor and former AJK premier Raja Farooq Haider, the party\u2019s regional secretary general and asse\u00admbly speaker, Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, and Deputy Spe\u00ada\u00adker Ahmed Raza Qadri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The prime minister was accompanied by his aide, Rana Sanaullah, and senior PML-N leader Saad Rafique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gillani was also invited to the PM House but did not join the meeting, where PM Shehbaz infor\u00admed the visiting leaders that party supremo Nawaz Sharif had decided to nominate Gillani as the party\u2019s candidate for the AJK premiership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The decision, however, triggered a sharp reaction from Qadir and Haider, who reportedly expressed their disagreement and announced that they would not participate in Friday\u2019s election process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, only Qadir did not participate in the election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speculation that Gillani could be chosen for the premiership had been rife since he was elected to the assembly on a reserved seat on Aug 24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the party\u2019s regional leadership believed that the formula followed in 2016, when Haider was elevated as prime minister, would be repeated this time as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following the reaction of the two senior leaders, Sanaullah and Rafique held another meeting with them, but it remained inconclusive, sources told Dawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a post-midnight message on X, Qadir assured the \u201cself-respecting people of Azad Kashmir\u201d that he would not compromise on their honour and dignity. \u201cNawaz Sharif\u2019s slogan of giving respect to the vote will be ensured,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Thursday afternoon, however, PML-N central information secretary and Punjab senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb posted on X that PM Shehbaz had finalised Gillani as the party\u2019s candidate and directed him to submit his nomination papers for election as AJK prime minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AJK polls<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The elections in the region, originally scheduled for July 27, were divided into phases over security concerns amid unrest in the region. The first phase was held on July 27, the second on Aug 2 and the third on Aug 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, the third phase was originally meant to cover all of Poonch Division, which comprises 11 constituencies, including three in Bagh, one in Haveli, five in Poonch district and two in Sudhnoti district.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the AJK Election Commission announced that polling would only go ahead as scheduled in Bagh and Haveli because of concerns over the law and order situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So far, in the direct elections to 38 constituencies, the PML-N has secured 25 seats while the PPP won 12. The lone MLA-elect of the Awami Dast-o-Bazu party has also joined hands with the PML-N.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As for the reserved seats, the PML-N has bagged six and the PPP two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The PPP has alleged widespread rigging and irregularities in the elections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MUZAFFARABAD(National Times)- PML-N\u2019s Barrister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gillani was sworn in as Azad Jammu and Kashmir\u2019s prime minister on Friday. Gillani took oath at a televised ceremony, where he expressed gratitude to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and the party\u2019s senior leadership. Addressing the gathering, the newly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":132099,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-132098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n