PML-N’s Najeeb Naqi elected AJK president with 32 votes

PML-N's Dr Muhammad Najeeb Naqi Khan has been elected the 25th president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Thursday, securing 32 votes in the AJK Legislative Assembly. PPP candidate Chaudhry Latif Akbar received 13 votes in the 46-member House. Nawaz Sharif had nominated him for the office.

Who is Najeeb Naqi, the newly elected AJK president?

Dr Muhammad Najeeb Naqi Khan of the PML-N is the new president of AJK. He has been a member of the AJK Legislative Assembly five times and has held ministries including health, education, IT and finance. He holds an MBBS degree from King Edward Medical College, Lahore.

How was the AJK president elected?

The presidential election was held in the AJK Legislative Assembly Hall. The Secretary of the Election Commission supervised the voting as Presiding Officer, and Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Tariq Farooq chaired the session.

During the session, Deputy Speaker Ahmed Raza Qadri and Assembly member Majid Khan exchanged arguments. After the result, members of the Legislative Assembly congratulated Dr Najeeb Naqi on becoming the new president.

When will the new AJK president take oath?

Dr Najeeb Naqi is scheduled to take oath as AJK president at 5:00 pm on Thursday at the President House in Muzaffarabad. Chief Justice of the AJK Supreme Court Raja Saeed Akram will administer the oath.

Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Engineer Amir Muqam and AJK Prime Minister Barrister Iftikhar Gilani are expected to attend the ceremony. Ministers, legislators, judges, bureaucrats and other prominent personalities are also expected to attend.

What is Najeeb Naqi's political background?

Dr Najeeb Naqi belongs to Palandri in Sudhnoti district and was born in Rawalpindi on January 19, 1964. He received his early education at Aitchison College and later graduated with an MBBS degree from King Edward Medical College, Lahore.

His father, Colonel Muhammad Naqi Khan, served as AJK Minister for Health and Food and was also a member of the Legislative Assembly. His grandfather, Colonel Khan Muhammad Khan, is remembered as the "Baba-e-Poonch." Dr Najeeb Naqi entered practical politics in the 1990s after his father's death.

He served as a member of the AJK Legislative Assembly from 1991 to 1996 and as Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Planning and Development. From 1996 to 2001, he remained a member of the Assembly and served on the Public Accounts Committee. From 2001 to 2006, he was a member of the AJK Council.

He returned to the Assembly for the 2006 to 2011 term and served as Minister for Health, Education and Information Technology. He was again a member from 2011 to 2016 and served on the Public Accounts Committee.

In the 2016 general elections, he was elected from LA-21 Sudhnoti-Poonch on a PML-N ticket, securing 25,732 votes. From 2016 to 2021, he served as AJK Minister for Health and Finance and also held the Planning and Development portfolio.

Dr Najeeb Naqi has been a member of the Assembly five times and has held government responsibilities in health, education, IT, finance and planning. He has also chaired the Assembly's Standing Committee on Health and served as vice president of PML-N AJK.

For the 2026 AJK elections, the PML-N awarded him a ticket from Palandri. However, polling in his constituency could not be completed due to security reasons.

Who nominated Najeeb Naqi for AJK president?

PML-N President Nawaz Sharif nominated Dr Najeeb Naqi for the office of AJK president. According to PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb, Nawaz Sharif directed him to submit his nomination papers for the presidential election.

What did Shehbaz Sharif say about the AJK president's election?

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Dr Najeeb Naqi on his election as president of AJK. He wished him well in the new constitutional role and said the election reflected the confidence of the people of AJK.

The prime minister expressed hope that the new president would perform his responsibilities effectively and play a constructive role in the development, prosperity and welfare of the people of AJK. He also reiterated the federal government's commitment to full cooperation for their development and prosperity.