AJK presidential election set for September 24

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission has announced that the election for the region’s next president will be held on September 24.

Chief Election Commissioner retired Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal announced the election schedule during a press conference in Muzaffarabad on Tuesday. He will also serve as the returning officer for the presidential election.

According to the schedule, candidates will submit their nomination papers between 10am and noon on September 19. The scrutiny of the papers will be conducted on the same day at the office of the returning officer.

Candidates will have the option to withdraw their nominations until 11:30am on September 23.

Polling will take place at the AJK Assembly Secretariat on September 24 from 10am to 1pm. The votes will be counted immediately after polling, with the election result expected to be announced on the same day.

The presidential office has been vacant since January following the death of Barrister Sultan Mahmood. The position was initially held on an acting basis by then-Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar.

The arrangement changed after Chaudhry Tariq Farooq was elected speaker of the AJK Legislative Assembly on August 25, following which he assumed the role of acting president.

Senior Election Commission officials, including member Khawaja Mohammad Ahsen and member Syed Nazeerul Hassan Gillani, were also present at the press conference.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which holds a majority in the AJK Legislative Assembly, is considered well placed to secure the presidency for its nominee.

Party sources have indicated that former health minister Dr Najeeb Naqi is among the leading contenders for the position. He belongs to Sudhnoti district of AJK.