MUZAFFARABAD: The PML-N on Wednesday announced its candidates for seven of the eight reserved seats in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

The special seats, polling for which has been scheduled for Aug 24, comprise five for women and one each for Ulema-i-Din or Mashaikh, Jammu and Kashmir State Subjects residing abroad, and technocrats and other professionals.

In the direct elections to 38 constituencies, the PML-N has secured 25 seats, while the PPP has won 12. The lone MLA-elect of the Awami Dast-o-Bazu party has also joined hands with the PML-N, taking the alliance’s strength to 26.

In Wednesday’s announcement, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif awarded the ticket for the technocrats and other professionals’ seat to Barrister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gillani, the overseas Kashmiris’ seat to Chaudhry Abdul Rehman Arain and the religious scholars’ seat to Pir Mazhar Saeed Shah.

Given its strength in the assembly, the PML-N is certain to secure all three seats. For the women’s seats, the party awarded tickets to Sehrish Qamar of Mang in Sudhnoti district; Maryam Zaman, alias Maryam Kashmiri, of Kutla in Muzaffarabad district; Maryam Idrees of Chakswari and Riffat Abid of Dadyal in Mirpur district.

Political sources said the PML-N could secure four of the five women’s seats if it played its cards well. Reserved seats are filled through a secret ballot.

The PPP has yet to formally announce its candidates for the women’s seats. Numerically, it is in a position to secure one seat easily. However, in the event of an understanding with the PML-N, it could bag the other seat as well.

At least four PPP activists were vying for the party tickets. However, party sources said former directly elected legislator Farzana Yaqoob and Zobia Khurshid Raja were most likely to be the party’s picks for the women’s seats.

“Not announced yet, but both will be the PPP candidates,” a senior but disenchanted party leader told Dawn.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2026