PML-N dominates new AJK Assembly as 46 lawmakers take oath
Forty-six newly elected members of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly took the oath on Monday, formally marking the beginning of the new parliamentary term following the 2026 general elections.
Assembly Speaker Latif Akbar administered the oath to the newly elected lawmakers during the inaugural session of the new assembly. The oath-taking ceremony reflected the changed political balance in the 53-member AJK Legislative Assembly, with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) emerging as the dominant parliamentary force.
A total of 31 PML-N assembly members took oath, along with one member of the Awami Dast-o-Bazu while 14 members of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) also took oath, according to the initial proceedings.
The PML-N and its allied Awami Dast-o-Bazu member Sajid Iqbal Abbasi making a combined strength of 32 were present in the assembly while the PPP was represented by its 14 lawmakers.
The oath-taking formally paved the way for the election of the new speaker and deputy speaker and subsequent formation of the PML-N-led government in AJK. The session marked the first sitting of the newly elected assembly members after the completion of the phased general elections, in which the PML-N secured a clear numerical advantage over its political rivals.
The assembly proceedings began amid heightened political interest as lawmakers took their seats in the house and formally assumed their constitutional responsibilities.
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The new government is expected to move swiftly towards completing the remaining parliamentary formalities, including the election of the prime minister and the formation of the cabinet in a couple of days.
PML-N further strengthened its position in the AJK Legislative Assembly by securing six of the eight reserved seats, taking its total strength to 31 lawmakers. The PML-N won three women’s reserved seats as well as the seats reserved for ulema and mashayikh, overseas Kashmiris and a technocrat. The PPP secured the remaining two women’s reserved seats.
The PML-N’s successful candidates included Maryam Zaman Kashmiri, Maryam Idris and Sehrish Qamar on women’s seats, Abdul Rehman Arain on the overseas Kashmiris’ seat, Iftikhar Gilani on the technocrat seat and Maulana Mazhar Saeed on the ulema and mashayikh seat.
The women’s reserved-seat results witnessed a dramatic finish when PML-N candidate Riffat Abid and PPP candidate Zubia Khursheed secured five votes each. The tie was decided through a draw, with PPP candidate Zubia Khursheed declared successful. The PPP’s Farzana Yaqoob had earlier also secured a women’s reserved seat with the support of the PPP electoral college.
The latest results give the PML-N 31 members in the 53-member Assembly, while the PPP has 14 seats. The PML-N’s strength is expected to rise to 32 with the support of Awami Dast-o-Bazu member Sajid Iqbal Abbasi.
The development further consolidates the PML-N’s position ahead of the formation of the new government in AJK. The PML-N emerged as the largest parliamentary party in the recent general elections after winning 25 of the 45 directly elected seats. The PPP secured 12 direct seats.
The PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had also interviewed the party’s women candidates for the reserved seats in Murree as part of the process of finalising nominations.
The PML-N AJK president and expected AJK prime minister candidate Shah Ghulam Qadir congratulated all the newly elected PML-N MLAs on the reserved seats saying that the trust reposed in them by the party was a big test and that they must all work for good governance and the development of AJK as per vision and guidelines of Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
AJK elections conclude
The elections were held in three phases under a revised schedule announced by AJK Chief Election Commissioner Ghulam Mustafa Mughal on July 21. The first phase covered all 13 constituencies in Mirpur Division, while polling in Muzaffarabad Division and the 12 refugee constituencies=was held on August 2, followed by Poonch (Rawalakot) Division on August 10.
The AJK Election Commission on August 7 announced that polling would proceed as scheduled in four constituencies — Bagh Central, Bagh East, Bagh West and Haveli — while voting in seven constituencies would be postponed due to security concerns.
The seven constituencies included five in Poonch district — Rawalakot, Pachhiot, Ali Sojal, Hajira and Abbaspur — and two in Sudhnoti district, Palandri and Baloch. The commission said the decision followed a report by the AJK home secretary highlighting security concerns in parts of the two districts.
The postponement came against the backdrop of deteriorating security conditions in Poonch Division, where tensions have persisted since late July. Violent clashes erupted in Rawalakot between police and members of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) after the group attempted to enter the city during the first phase of the AJK elections.
Several videos circulating online showed scenes of unrest, with claims of violence and casualties, though the details could not be independently verified.
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Authorities said JAAC supporters opened fire on police after refusing to disperse, injuring officers, while the group alleged security forces had used excessive force, claiming multiple fatalities among its supporters. Since then, the government has maintained that the law and order situation in parts of Poonch and Sudhnoti remained fragile.
The first phase concluded with polling across Mirpur Division, while the second phase covered nine constituencies in Muzaffarabad Division and 12 refugee seats, bringing 21 constituencies to the polls. However, voting in LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I and LA-28 Muzaffarabad-II was postponed after heavy rain, landslides and adverse weather prevented election staff and polling material from reaching several polling stations.
Polling in the two delayed constituencies was held two days later under heightened security arrangements, with the PML-N winning LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I and the PPP securing LA-28 Muzaffarabad-II, formally bringing the second phase of the elections to a close. The Election Commission subsequently notified the results of all 21 constituencies contested in the second phase.Read More
