Barrister Ittikhar Gillani of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has been elected as the new prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), securing 30 votes against Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Mukhtar Abbasi, who received 14 votes.
Gillani’s election came a day after the PML-N nominated him for the top AJK government post. The voting was held during a session of the AJK Legislative Assembly convened to elect a new leader of the house.
The AJK Legislative Assembly comprises 53 seats, but seven seats from the Poonch and Sudhnoti districts are currently vacant as elections have yet to be held. As a result, the effective strength of the assembly stands at 46 members.
The PML-N and its allies command the support of 32 lawmakers, while the PPP has 14 members in the house.
A total of 44 members participated in the voting. PML-N lawmaker Shah Ghulam Qadir was absent and did not cast his vote, while PPP’s Bazal Ali Naqvi also did not vote.
With 30 votes, Gillani secured the required majority and will now lead the AJK government.
