MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): The first session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly following the 2026 general elections will be held today, with newly elected members scheduled to take the oath.
Polling for seven reserved seats will take place from 10 am to 1 pm before the session. The reserved seats include five for women, one for technocrats and one for scholars. The reserved seat for overseas Kashmiris has already been won unopposed by PML-N candidate Abdul Rehman Arain.
Following the announcement of the reserved-seat results, members of the newly elected assembly will take the oath at 2 pm. The assembly is scheduled to elect the Speaker and Deputy Speaker on Tuesday, while the election for the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir is expected to be held on August 27.
The PML-N currently holds 25 seats in the 53-member house and is in a strong position to form the next government. After securing reserved seats and support from allied members, the party’s parliamentary strength is expected to rise to 33, giving it a clear majority.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PML-N President Nawaz Sharif also discussed potential candidates for the offices of Prime Minister and Speaker of Azad Kashmir during their weekly meeting on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the first formal meeting of the PML-N Azad Kashmir parliamentary party was held under the chairmanship of party president and prospective prime minister Shah Ghulam Qadir. The meeting discussed government formation, governance, the situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and the party’s strategy for the reserved-seat elections.
Through a unanimous resolution, the parliamentary party declared resolving public issues, restoring law and order, ensuring merit and justice, and completing stalled development projects as priorities of the incoming government.
The meeting also reaffirmed its commitment to development and the rule of law in Azad Kashmir in line with Nawaz Sharif’s vision. The parliamentary party expressed concern over the situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and urged the international community to take notice of alleged human rights violations and war crimes.
The PML-N parliamentary party also rejected statements attributed to the US ambassador to India regarding Kashmir and reiterated its position that the Kashmir dispute should be resolved in accordance with United Nations resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
PML-N Azad Kashmir President Shah Ghulam Qadir and Secretary General Chaudhry Tariq Farooq have emerged as prominent contenders for the prime minister’s office.
The four-phase AJK elections, however, were not without controversy. The PML-N’s federal ally, the Pakistan Peoples Party, alleged widespread rigging and violence during the electoral process.
