MUZAFFARABAD: Dr Muhammad Najeeb Naqi has been elected president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) for a five-year term. Pakistan Muslim League (N) nominated him for the Presidentship of the AJK.
Naqi defeated Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Chaudhry Latif Akbar during Thursday’s presidential election at the AJK Legislative Assembly.
He secured 32 votes in the election, including 31 votes from PML-N lawmakers and one vote from an Awami Dast-o-Baazu party member. Meanwhile, Akbar received 13 votes, while one Assembly member remained absent during the polling.
Election fills vacant constitutional post
The election filled the constitutional position that had remained vacant since January after the death of former AJK president Barrister Sultan Mahmood. The 46-member AJK Assembly has 31 PML-N lawmakers, excluding Speaker Chaudhry Tariq Farooq. The PPP has 14 members in the legislative house. The voting outcome gave Naqi the required majority to secure the presidency and complete the constitutional process.
Naqi returns to senior government role
Naqi previously served as AJK health minister from 2006 to 2011, when he held the portfolio during an earlier period in his political career. Later, he returned to the health ministry under the PML-N government and served from 2016 to 2021.
The presidential election followed the vacancy created after Mahmood’s death in January. The constitutional office had remained without a permanent officeholder until Thursday’s vote. Naqi will now serve a five-year term as president of AJK. His election marks his return to a senior constitutional position after years of serving in the regional government.
The result also reflects the composition of the AJK Assembly, where PML-N holds the largest number of seats among the parties represented.
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