Nawaz interviews candidates for AJK reserved seats

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership has accelerated consultations over the formation of the next government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), with party supremo Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz interviewing candidates for reserved seats.

The interviews were held in Murree on Sunday for five women’s reserved seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly. PML-N AJK regional president Shah Ghulam Qadir and Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah also attended the meeting.

The party leadership reviewed the profiles of several women seeking PML-N tickets. The interviews reportedly lasted between five and 10 minutes for each candidate.

Among those interviewed were Maryam Kashmiri, president of the PML-N AJK Women’s Wing, secretary general Nasira Azeem Khan, former reserved-seat MLA Sehrish Qamar, former Assembly member Nisara Abbasi, Maryam Idrees, Maria Iqbal Tarana and Zareeda Nisar.

The widow of late Raja Abid Khan of Dadyal also appeared before the leadership. Her son, Raja Shoaib Abid, had withdrawn from the electoral contest in support of PML-N candidate and MLA-elect Chaudhry Azhar Sadiq.

The PML-N leadership praised the participation of women in the recent AJK elections. The party said women had played an active and important role in the electoral process and described their involvement as a positive development for democracy.

The PML-N has emerged as the largest party following the recent AJK elections. It secured 25 directly elected seats and has the support of an allied member. Based on its strength in the Assembly, the party is expected to win four of the five reserved seats for women.

The party is also expected to secure the remaining three reserved seats allocated to religious scholars or Mashaikh, overseas state subjects, and technocrats and other professionals.

The AJK Election Commission has scheduled polling for all eight reserved seats for August 24. The voting will take place at the AJK Legislative Assembly Hall in Muzaffarabad from 10am to 1pm.

Candidates will submit nomination papers on August 20. The scrutiny process will be completed the same day, while appeals against decisions regarding nominations can be filed on August 21.

The Election Commission will hear the appeals on August 22. Candidates will have until August 23 to withdraw their nominations, after which the final list of contestants will be issued.

The AJK Assembly comprises 53 members. Of these, 45 are elected through direct voting, while eight seats are reserved for specific categories.

However, elections could not be held in seven constituencies because of the law and order situation in parts of Poonch and Sudhnoti districts. As a result, 38 directly elected members will take part in the process of electing candidates to the reserved seats.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission also issued notifications confirming the victories of PPP candidate Sardar Ziaul Qamar and PML-N candidate Sardar Mir Akbar in Bagh district.

Qamar was declared successful from LA-15 Central Bagh, while Akbar was declared the returned candidate from LA-16 Eastern Bagh. Their notifications formally completed the electoral process in the two constituencies.