PML-N Strengthens Position in AJK Assembly

PML-N has emerged as the dominant force in the incoming Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly, strengthening its position to form the next government after the completion of elections for the reserved seats.

The latest results gave the party five of the seven reserved seats contested on Monday, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured the remaining two. The eighth reserved seat, allocated to overseas state subjects, had already been won unopposed by PML-N candidate Chaudhry Abdul Rehman Arain.

PML-N Consolidates Assembly Position

The AJK Legislative Assembly consists of 53 members, including 45 directly elected lawmakers and eight members elected through reserved seats. Seven of the directly elected constituencies could not hold elections because of law-and-order conditions, leaving 38 directly elected members to participate in the reserved-seat process.

In the direct elections, the PML-N emerged as the largest party with 25 seats. The party subsequently strengthened its numbers through the reserved seats and the decision of an Awami Dasto Bazu member to join its ranks.

Following the latest developments, the PML-N’s strength has reached 32 members after Awami Dasto Bazu lawmaker Sajid Iqbal Abbasi announced that he would join the party.

Three Women Candidates Win for PML-N

The party secured three of the five seats reserved for women.

PML-N candidates Maryam Zaman, Maryam Idrees and Sehrish Qamar were elected, while PPP candidates Farzana Yaqoob and Zobia Khurshid Raja secured the other two women’s seats.

The final women’s seat was decided by a draw after PML-N’s Riffat Abid and PPP’s Zobia Khurshid Raja received an equal number of votes. Raja won the draw, giving the PPP its second reserved women’s seat.

Two Additional Reserved Seats Go to PML-N

PML-N also secured the reserved seats for technocrats and professionals and for Ulema and Mashaikh.

Barrister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gillani won the technocrat seat with 26 votes, while Mohammad Mazhar Saeed secured the Ulema and Mashaikh seat with 26 votes.

The results give the PML-N a significant numerical advantage as political parties move toward the next stage of government formation.

AJK Government Formation Enters Next Phase

With the reserved-seat process completed and newly elected lawmakers taking oath, attention has now shifted toward the election of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Leader of the House.

The incoming assembly has begun its formal proceedings, while the PML-N leadership is expected to focus on consultations over the formation of the next administration.

The party’s strengthened numbers put it in a favorable position to lead the government. However, the final process will depend on the assembly’s formal schedule and the support available during the election of the Leader of the House.

The latest developments mark a significant step in the transition toward a new elected government in Azad Kashmir, with the PML-N now holding the strongest position among the major parliamentary groups.See More on Pulse Pakistan