PML-N backs Gilani for AJK Premiership

Gilani’s nomination by PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif has placed the party’s central leadership at the centre of the government-formation process

ISLAMABAD: Barrister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gilani is set to be elected as the 17th Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) today, August 28, after the AJK Legislative Assembly issued a revised schedule for the election.

Gilani’s nomination by PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif has placed the party’s central leadership at the centre of the government-formation process in AJK, where the PML-N and its allies hold a comfortable majority in the 53-member Legislative Assembly.

Election Schedule

According to the revised schedule issued by the AJK Legislative Assembly, nomination papers will be filed from 9:30am to 10:30am, followed by scrutiny from 10:30am to 10:45am.

The candidate list will be displayed at 11:00am, while candidates will be allowed to withdraw their papers until 11:30am. The final list will be issued at noon.

The election for the prime minister is scheduled for 2:00pm, after Friday prayers, followed by the oath-taking ceremony at 4:00pm at the Presidency.

PML-N Holds Numbers

The PML-N and its coalition partners currently command 32 seats in the 53-member assembly, including support from JUI and Awami Dast-o-Bazu.

The PPP has 14 members and has nominated Mukhtar Ahmed Abbasi and Bazal Naqvi for the prime ministerial contest.

With the coalition holding a clear majority, Gilani is widely expected to secure the required votes and become the next AJK premier.

Nomination Sparks Internal Reservations

Despite the coalition’s numerical strength, Gilani’s nomination has reportedly exposed differences within the PML-N’s AJK chapter.

Sources familiar with the matter told Minute Mirror that PML-N AJK President Shah Ghulam Qadir and former AJK prime minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan expressed reservations during a meeting at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad on Wednesday in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Qadir was also reportedly opposed to the nomination and indicated that he would neither vote for Gilani nor attend Friday’s assembly session.

The extent of internal dissent became evident when only 26 of the 32 lawmakers supporting the coalition attended a dinner hosted by AJK Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Tariq Farooq on Thursday night.

PML-N leader and Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb confirmed Gilani’s nomination on X, saying the decision was taken following consultations within the party leadership.

Gilani’s Political Career

Barrister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gilani became a member of the AJK Legislative Assembly in August 2026 on a technocrat seat.

He previously served as an assembly member from October 2011 to August 2021, giving him considerable experience in AJK politics.

Speaker, Deputy Speaker Elected

The latest developments follow the election of Chaudhry Tariq Farooq as Speaker of the AJK Legislative Assembly on August 24. He secured 32 votes.

Ahmed Raza Qadri was elected Deputy Speaker with the same number of votes.

A small cabinet is also expected to take oath after the new prime minister assumes office.

Nawaz Sharif’s Role

The latest nomination marks another significant turn in the PML-N’s efforts to form the government in AJK.

Following the party’s victory in the AJK elections, held in three phases between July 27 and August 10, Nawaz Sharif initially nominated Shah Ghulam Qadir for the top office.

The subsequent nomination of Barrister Iftikhar Gilani has therefore introduced an unexpected twist to the government-formation process, while raising questions about whether the PML-N leadership can resolve internal differences before the new government takes shape.