ISLAMABAD: Forty-six newly elected members of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly took oath on Monday, formally beginning the new parliamentary term after the 2026 general elections.
AJK Assembly Speaker Latif Akbar administered the oath during the inaugural session, with the ceremony highlighting the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s strong position in the 53-member house.
According to the initial proceedings, 31 PML-N lawmakers took oath, while 14 members of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) also assumed their seats. One member of Awami Dast-o-Bazu, Sajid Iqbal Abbasi, also took oath, giving the PML-N and its ally a combined strength of 32 in the assembly.
The oath-taking ceremony has paved the way for the election of the speaker and deputy speaker, followed by the formation of a new PML-N-led government in AJK. The election of the prime minister and cabinet formation are expected to be completed within the next few days.
The PML-N strengthened its position after securing six of the eight reserved seats in the assembly. The party won three women’s seats along with seats reserved for ulema and mashayikh, overseas Kashmiris and a technocrat.
The successful PML-N candidates included Maryam Zaman Kashmiri, Maryam Idris and Sehrish Qamar on women’s seats, Abdul Rehman Arain on the overseas Kashmiris seat, Iftikhar Gilani on the technocrat seat and Maulana Mazhar Saeed on the ulema and mashayikh seat.
The PPP secured the remaining two women’s reserved seats. One of the seats was decided through a draw after PML-N candidate Riffat Abid and PPP candidate Zubia Khursheed each secured five votes. The draw resulted in Zubia Khursheed being declared successful.
The latest results give the PML-N 31 seats in the 53-member assembly, compared with 14 held by the PPP, while its alliance with Awami Dast-o-Bazu is expected to take its effective strength to 32.
The PML-N had already emerged as the largest party in the direct elections, winning 25 of the 45 directly elected seats. The PPP secured 12 direct seats.
PML-N AJK president and expected prime minister candidate Shah Ghulam Qadir congratulated the newly elected lawmakers and urged them to focus on good governance and development in the region.
The AJK elections were held in three phases after the Election Commission revised the schedule. Polling covered Mirpur Division, Muzaffarabad Division and refugee constituencies, followed by voting in Poonch Division.
Several constituencies in Poonch and Sudhnoti faced delays because of security concerns, while voting in two Muzaffarabad constituencies was also postponed because of adverse weather, landslides and difficulties in transporting election material.
With the new assembly now sworn in, political attention has shifted towards the election of the prime minister and the formation of the next AJK government.
