MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): The elections for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly were held on Tuesday afternoon, with Chaudhry Tariq Farooq and Ahmed Raza Qadri securing the top parliamentary positions.
The session of the Legislative Assembly was held under the chairmanship of outgoing Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Chaudhry Tariq Farooq was elected 16th Speaker of the AJK Legislative Assembly with 32 votes, while his opponent, Pakistan Peoples Party (AJK) candidate Chaudhry Qasim Majeed, secured 13 votes with one rejected.
Latif Akbar administered the oath to the newly elected Speaker Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, congratulated him on assuming office, and handed over the proceedings of the House.
Later, during the Legislative Assembly session, chaired by Speaker Tariq Farooq, the polling for Deputy Speaker was held.
PML-N candidate Ahmed Raza Qadri was elected 15th Deputy Speaker with 32 votes, while PPP candidate Aamir Abdul Ghaffar Lone lost the poll after securing 13 votes. Newly elected Speaker Tariq Farooq administered the oath to Qadri.
The total number of members of the Legislative Assembly is 53, of which 07 seats from Poonch and Sudhanoti districts are vacant after the elections were not held due to the security situation. Thus, the current number of the House is 46.
