MUZAFFARABAD, Aug 25: Sardar Mohammad Yaqoob Khan took oath as AJK president for the next five years here on Thursday, and vowed stepping up political and diplomatic efforts for the settlement of the Kashmir issue.

The oath to the new president was administered by AJK Supreme Court Chief Justice Mohammad Azam Khan at a ceremony on the premises of the Legislative Assembly secretariat.

AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, outgoing president Raja Zulqarnain Khan, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Mehdi Shah, former AJK premiers Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan and Raja Farooq Haider, former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor Amir Gulistan Janjua, AJK ministers and opposition PML-N lawmakers attended the ceremony.

Mr Yaqoob addressed the gathering after receiving salute from a smartly turned out police contingent.

He pledged that AJK would be made a `real base camp’ of Kashmir freedom struggle.