MUZAFFARABAD: On Saturday, both the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) submitted their nomination papers for the upcoming presidential election in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), which is set to take place on September 24.
The position of president in AJK has been unoccupied since January following the passing of Barrister Sultan Mahmood. In the interim, Chaudhry Latif Akbar, who was the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, acted as president until Chaudhry Tariq Farooq was elected as the new Speaker on August 25.
According to the AJK Constitution, the election of the president is conducted by the members of the Legislative Assembly, who must reach a majority decision as defined by the law.
Nominees from PML-N and PPP
The nomination papers were submitted to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, who is also the returning officer for this presidential election.
The PML-N has put forth Dr Najeeb Naqi, a 62-year-old former minister, as their candidate. His nomination was put forward by senior party leader and ex-Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider and was seconded by AJK Prime Minister Iftikhar Gillani.
Opposition party PPP has nominated 78-year-old Akbar for the presidency, with his nomination being proposed by former minister Deevan Ali Khan Chughtai and seconded by fellow legislator Sardar Mukhtar Ahmed Abbasi.
Submission Process and Validation
Dr Najeeb Naqi arrived at the Election Commission office accompanied by his proposer, seconder, and other notable PML-N legislators, including Shah Ghulam Qadir, the party’s regional president. The group took photographs with the nomination papers before formally presenting them to the CEC.
Similarly, Akbar was joined by several PPP legislators during the submission of his nomination papers, with the group also posing for photographs.
Following a thorough review, both submitted nomination papers were confirmed as valid. Candidates have until 11:30 AM on September 23 to withdraw their nominations, while voting will occur at the AJK Assembly Secretariat from 10 AM to 1 PM on September 24, with results being announced on the same day.
Context of the Election
Last month, elections were held across AJK for the legislative assembly seats. Originally planned for July 27, these elections were staggered due to security issues stemming from unrest in the region. The first phase of elections occurred on July 27, followed by phases on August 2 and August 10.
The last phase was intended to cover the entire Poonch Division, consisting of 11 constituencies, including three in Bagh, one in Haveli, five in Poonch District, and two in Sudhnoti District. However, due to security concerns, the AJK Election Commission decided to only proceed with voting in Bagh and Haveli as scheduled.
In the direct elections for 38 constituencies, the PML-N secured 25 seats, while the PPP won 12. Additionally, the sole elected member from the Awami Dast-o-Bazu party allied with the PML-N. The PPP has accused the PML-N of widespread electoral fraud, further intensifying their criticism of the ruling party.
On August 24, the PML-N won five out of the seven reserved seats available, while the PPP managed to secure two. Newly elected members of the AJK Legislative Assembly were sworn in by Akbar on the same day.
