PML-N's Najeeb Naqi elected 25th President of Azad Kashmir

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate Dr Muhammad Najeeb Naqi has been elected as the 25th president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, defeating the Pakistan Peoples Party's Chaudhry Latif Akbar in a special Legislative Assembly session in Muzaffarabad.

Aaj News reported that Naqi, the PML-N's nominated candidate, won 31 votes while Akbar received 13. The session, chaired by the Speaker, was held from 10am to 1pm. Election Commission sources quoted by Aaj News said PPP member Chaudhry Qasim Majeed was absent from the chamber during the voting, while all other members cast their ballots. A minimum of 27 votes was needed to win the presidency.

The special session was called under the chairmanship of the Speaker. According to Aaj News, members cast their votes during the scheduled time, and the absence of one PPP lawmaker reduced the opposition's effective strength on the floor.

Ahead of the vote, the PML-N and its allies held 32 seats in the assembly, compared with 14 held by the PPP. That gave Naqi a clear majority. Both candidates are influential figures in Azad Kashmir politics. Naqi enjoyed the PML-N's full support, while Akbar has previously served as acting president and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.

After the counting was completed, the Speaker formally announced the result. The newly elected president is expected to take the oath of office soon.

The Election Commission said that with the presidential election concluded, it will now begin the process for four vacant seats of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council. Polling for those seats has been fixed for 12 October.