MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) nominee Dr. Najeeb Naqi has been elected the 25th president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), securing 32 votes in Thursday’s presidential election.
The election was held at the AJK Legislative Assembly, where 45 members participated in the polling. Naqi defeated Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Chaudhry Latif Akbar, who received 13 votes. One assembly member was absent.
Naqi received 31 votes from PML-N lawmakers and one vote from a member of the Dast-o-Bazu Party.
The presidential office had remained vacant since January following the death of former president Barrister Sultan Mahmood.
Naqi, who belongs to the Pallandri area of Sudhnoti district in Poonch Division, previously served as AJK health minister from 2006 to 2011 and again held the health portfolio during the PML-N government from 2016 to 2021.
Earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Nawaz Sharif has nominated Dr Muhammad Najeeb Naqi Khan as the party’s candidate for president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said Wednesday.
Aurangzeb said in a post on X that Nawaz had directed Dr Naqi to submit his nomination papers for the presidential election. She congratulated him on the nomination on behalf of the party leadership and expressed her best wishes.
The election for the AJK presidency is scheduled for Sept. 24, according to the AJK Election Commission. Candidates will file their nomination papers on Sept. 19 between 10 a.m. and noon, with scrutiny to be conducted the same day.
