Dr Najeeb Naqi has been elected as the new president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir for a full five year term. The PML-N nominee secured a clear win in Thursday’s presidential election held inside the AJK Legislative Assembly.
Dr Muhammad Najeeb Naqi received 32 votes. Out of these, 31 votes came from PML-N lawmakers while one vote was cast by a member of the Jammu Kashmir Awami Dast-o-Bazu. His opponent from the PPP, Chaudhry Latif Akbar, managed only 13 votes. One assembly member stayed absent during the polling.
This election fills the important constitutional post that had remained empty since January after the death of former president Barrister Sultan Mahmood. The 46 member AJK Assembly currently has 31 PML-N lawmakers excluding Speaker Chaudhry Tariq Farooq. The PPP holds 14 seats.
Dr Naqi is not new to the region’s politics. He earlier served as AJK health minister from 2006 to 2011. He again held the same portfolio under the PML-N government between 2016 and 2021. His long experience in public service and party loyalty made him a strong choice for the top post.
The PML-N had already emerged as the largest party in the recent AJK general elections. The party first won 25 seats. After the addition of reserved seats its strength rose to 31. The PPP secured 11 seats initially and later reached 14. The PML-N also enjoys support from one JKADB member which helped strengthen its position further.
Only a few weeks ago on 28 August, PML-N leader Iftikhar Gilani was sworn in as the 17th prime minister of AJK. He won with 30 votes against PPP candidate Sardar Mukhtar Khan who received 14 votes. The smooth election of both the prime minister and now the president shows the solid majority the PML-N currently enjoys in the assembly.
Political observers believe the new president will focus on strengthening democratic institutions in the region and supporting development work under the present government. Dr Najeeb Naqi now steps into this high office with a clear mandate and years of administrative experience behind him. His election marks another important milestone for the PML-N in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
