MUZAFFARABAD: The ruling People’s Party in Azad Jammu and Kashmir has awarded its ticket for a reserved seat for women to Shamshad Aziz, spouse of Gen Mohammad Aziz Khan, a key player in the October 1999 military coup in Pakistan.

The seat was vacant after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s Dr Fouzia Ashraf resigned two weeks ago, citing personal reasons.

Ms Ashraf, who is a Lahore-based medical practitioner and spouse of a former member provincial assembly (MPA), was chosen by the Sharif brothers for the slot, regardless of discontentment in the AJK chapter, to meet their political needs in Punjab during their previous stint.

Since PPAJK is the major parliamentary group in the 47-member assembly, and the seat is bound to go to it.

According to PPAJK sources, five female activists from their party had applied for the party ticket but before the AJK leaders could initiate any formal proceedings for awarding the ticket, they received instructions from Zardari House to an nounce the candidacy of Ms Shamshad Aziz who had joined the party in 2010.

On Thursday, PPAJK secretary general and finance minister Chaudhry Latif Akbar himself submitted the nomination papers of Ms Aziz in the election commission. Surprisingly, no candidate was put forward by the PML-N.

The polling will be held on July 2.

Ms Aziz will face Ms Samia Sajid of the opposition Muslim Conference, which has five MPAs. The PML-N, which is the major opposition group with 11 MPAs, is not contesting in the election, a decision that has angered its female party members.

It may be mentioned that both Ms Aziz and Gen (retired) Khan belong to AJK’s Poonch division.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2014