Dr Najeeb Naqi, who was nominated by PML-N, has been elected president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir on a rollout of 32 votes in the Legislative Assembly, defeating PPP candidate Chaudhry Latif Akbar.
Dr Muhammad Najeeb Naqi was elected President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, a constitutional post that was vacant since January after the death of the previous President Barrister Sultan Mahmood.
The presidential election was conducted at the Secretariat of the Legislative Assembly of AJK in Muzaffarabad on Thursday. Naqi got 32 votes while Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Chaudhry Latif Akbar got 13 votes.
There were 45 lawmakers, one of whom was absent, who cast votes. Out of Naqi’s votes, 31 were from PML-N lawmakers and one was cast by a member of Jammu Kashmir Awami Dast-o-Bazu alliance.
There are 46 seats in the AJK Assembly and 46 are currently occupied. Seven constituencies are still without representatives due to the postponing of elections in some areas of Poonch and Sudhnoti due to the law and order situation.
The constitutional system of AJK provides that the President will be elected by members of the Legislative Assembly. The president is elected for a period of five years.
Before the elections, Naqi’s name was put forward by the PML-N leadership. The contest was between the representatives of two major political groups in the Assembly, as the PPP had put forward Chaudhry Latif Akbar as its candidate.
Barrister Sultan Mahmood had been dead for several months and the presidency was vacant. The responsibilities of the office were temporarily handled by acting presidents during the intervening period.
Naqi is a Palandri from Sudhnoti district, and has a long experience of AJK politics. He had earlier served as health minister from 2006 to 2011 and was once again appointed to the health portfolio during the PML-N government from 2016 to 2021. He has also served in the portfolios of education and information technology.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Naqi on his election and hoped that he will fulfil his constitutional duties and will be helpful in the development and welfare of AJK. The prime minister also reiterated the cooperation of the federal government with the territory.
Later in the day, Naqi took the oath of office as president in the President’s House in Muzaffarabad. The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice of the AJK High Court Raja Saeed Akram.
The presidential election has now been held and the constitutional leadership of AJK now has a newly elected president and the new government headed by Prime Minister Iftikhar Gillani. Political and administrative issues remain, such as elections to be held in seven constituencies.
