PML-N’s Masood Khan elected as AJK president

Muslim Conference, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf boycotted the election

MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly elected on Tuesday Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Muhammad Masood Khan as new AJK president.

A former diplomat, Masood contested the election against Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)’s Chaudhry Latif Akbar, who is a former finance minister and party’s general secretary in AJK. He bagged 42 votes in contrast with Akbar's six votes.

Masood, who is currently serving as DG Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, will be replacing Sardar Yaqoob as 23^rd president of the region. Sardar Yaqoob retires on August 25 after completing his five-year constitutional term.

Meanwhile, the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (AJKMC), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Party (JKPP) boycotted the presidential polls.

Earlier on Thursday, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission (AJKEC) had accepted the nomination papers of PML-N and PPP nominees for the slot of president.

Profile

Masood retired as a career diplomat in 2005. He has served on key positions as Foreign Office’s spokesperson, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, DG UN desk at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DG Disarmament desk at MOFA and several other positions.

He hails from the AJK’s Rawlakot area and belongs to Sudhanzai tribe.