The central leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has nominated Barrister Iftikhar Gilani as the new prime minister of Azad Kashmir. However, some media reports claimed citing sources that senior party leaders in Azad Kashmir have opposed the decision to nominate Gilani.
The decision was taken at a consultative meeting in Islamabad, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to select a candidate for the Azad Kashmir premiership.
The meeting discussed the formation of a new government in Azad Kashmir, future political developments, the PML-N’s strategy and parliamentary affairs.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had summoned Shah Ghulam Qadir and former Azad Kashmir prime minister Raja Farooq Haider to Islamabad to discuss the selection of the new prime minister.
Newly elected Speaker Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, Deputy Speaker Ahmed Raza Qadri and MPA Barrister Iftikhar Gilani were also invited to attend.
According to reports, Shah Ghulam Qadir and Raja Farooq Haider disagreed with the decision to appoint Gilani as prime minister. Both leaders decided to hold further consultations and will inform the central leadership of their views by tomorrow.
The election for the new prime minister will be held in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on August 28.
Barrister Iftikhar Gilani won the recent Azad Kashmir general elections on a PML-N ticket. He previously served as education minister during the former PML-N provincial cabinet and Raja Farooq Haider’s tenure as prime minister.
