MUZAFFARABAD: Barrister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gillani of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz was sworn in on Friday as Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s 17th Prime Minister.
Earlier, he was elected as the Prime Minister securing 30 of the 44 votes cast in the Legislative Assembly.
“I am thankful for the leadership and the party’s affection and faith in me, and I assure you that even if I have to work day and night, I will uphold this faith,” Gillani said.
He urged members of the Legislative Assembly to cooperate with him, stressing that “we must move forward together and build an AJK that is exemplary for the whole world”.
“Ours is a small region,” Gillani said, noting that “similar to the rest of the country, AJK also has governance issues and unemployment”.
Gillani defeated his sole rival from Pakistan’s Peoples Party (PPP), Sardar Mukhtar Ahmed Abbasi, who received 14 votes.
The AJK Assembly has 53 seats, but its current strength stands at 46, with elections to seven constituencies in Poonch and Sudhnoti districts yet to be held. The PML-N and its allies currently hold 32 seats, while the PPP has 14.
🚨PML-N candidate Iftikhar Gilani has been elected the 17th prime minister of Kashmir, securing 30 votes in the legislative assembly. pic.twitter.com/HyMNRKCcM5
— Ihtisham Ul Haq (@iihtishamm) August 28, 2026
Of the 46 sitting members, 44 participated in Friday’s election. Speaker Chaudhry Tariq Farooq did not cast his vote, while PML-N AJK president Shah Ghulam Qadir was absent from the House.
Following the vote count, Speaker Farooq formally announced Gillani’s victory amid applause and slogans from the galleries.
Qadir and former AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider had earlier opposed Gillani’s nomination.
Newly elected members of Azad Jammu assembly take oath
Newly elected members of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly took the oath of office on Monday, marking the formal start of the new assembly. Outgoing Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar administered the oath to the newly elected members.
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Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections
The elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir were divided into phases. The first phase was held on July 27, the second on August 2 and the third on August 10.
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.
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.
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.
