PML-N faces AJK leadership rift as PM nomination triggers backlash

According to sources, the party’s central leadership has considered Gillani for the top slot despite the fact that he was unsuccessful in the general election

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is facing internal tensions in Azad Jammu and Kashmir after its reported decision to nominate Barrister Iftikhar Gillani for the office of AJK prime minister triggered criticism from party circles and political figures.

According to sources, the party’s central leadership has considered Gillani for the top slot despite the fact that he was unsuccessful in the general election and subsequently entered the AJK Legislative Assembly through a technocrat seat. The reported move has raised questions among some PML-N members, particularly those who won their seats in the general election.

The controversy has also revived debate over the party’s longstanding political slogan, “Give Respect to the Vote,” with critics arguing that the reported nomination does not reflect the electoral mandate of successful candidates.

Sources said a late-night meeting at the Prime Minister’s House to finalize the AJK prime ministerial candidate ended without consensus. Shah Ghulam Qadir, who had reportedly been considered for the premiership, was allegedly offered the position of president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir but declined the proposal.

According to the sources, Shah Ghulam Qadir and former AJK prime minister Raja Farooq Haider subsequently left the meeting amid differences over the proposed arrangement.

The developments have intensified speculation about differences within the PML-N’s AJK chapter. However, the party has maintained that no final decision has yet been taken.

A close aide to the PML-N leadership said the matter remained under consideration and that the final choice would be made after assessing the political situation and other relevant factors.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also said that no name had been finalized during the meeting.

There has been no official announcement from the Prime Minister’s House confirming Barrister Iftikhar Gillani’s nomination as AJK prime minister.

Meanwhile, the session of the AJK Legislative Assembly scheduled for the election of the new prime minister has been postponed until August 28.

The controversy has placed the PML-N leadership under renewed pressure as it seeks to resolve differences within its AJK ranks and reach consensus on the next prime minister.