MUZAFFARABAD: The AJK Legisla­tive Assembly will meet on Thurs­day to elect the region’s new president for a five-year term, a process that has remained pending since January following the death of inc­umbent Barrister Sultan Mahmood.

Dr Najeeb Naqi of the ruling PML-N and Chaudhry Latif Akbar of the PPP are contesting the election. Both are senior parliamentarians who have held key positions in successive governments of their respective parties.

Under the AJK Consti­tution, the president is elected by the members of the Legislative Asse­mbly by a majority of the total membership. The PML-N has 31 lawmakers, excluding Speaker Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, against 14 of the PPP, in the 46-member Hou­­se.

Meanwhile, the AJK Election Com­mission also announced the schedule for election to four seats of the AJK Council, whose five-year terms expired last month. Polling will be held on Oct 12 from 10am to 1pm, with coun­ting to begin immediately after polling.

According to the schedule, nomination pap­ers will be received on Oct 1 between 9am and 2pm. Scrutiny will be held at 10am on Oct 2. Appeals against rejection of nomination papers may be filed on Oct 5 between 9am and 12:30pm.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2026