Nawaz Sharif Nominates Iftikhar Gilani for AJK Prime Minister

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has finalized Barrister Iftikhar Gilani as its candidate for the prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). The nomination was made by party president Nawaz Sharif following high-level consultations chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. Gilani, who lost his direct seat in a Muzaffarabad constituency to a Pakistan Peoples Party candidate, was appointed to a reserved technocrat seat on Sharif's recommendation to facilitate his candidacy.

The decision has triggered internal friction within the PML-N. AJK President Shah Ghulam Qadir and former AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider opposed the selection during meetings with Shehbaz Sharif. Qadir announced he would boycott the legislative session and refuse to vote for Gilani, asserting that there would be no compromise on the dignity of the people of AJK.

The nomination follows a general election where the PML-N emerged as the largest party with 31 members, commanding 32 votes with the support of one member from the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Dast-o-Bazu. However, the process has been marred by controversy. The Pakistan Peoples Party, which secured 13 seats, has alleged rigging in the polling process, while the Joint Awami Action Committee led violent protests across the region. The AJK Legislative Assembly is scheduled to elect the new prime minister on August 28, though seven of the 53 seats remain vacant due to security concerns in the Poonch and Sudhnoti districts.