Independent AJK lawmaker Sajid Iqbal joins PML-N after election upset

Rana Sanaullah says PML-N is three seats away from a two-thirds majority in the AJK Assembly

Awami Dast-e-Bazu Member of the Legislative Assembly Sajid Iqbal Abbasi, who won from LA-14 Dhirkot in the recently held Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, has decided to support the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), strengthening the party’s position as it moves to form the next government in AJK.

Iqbal’s decision came days after his decisive victory in the LA-14 (Western Bagh/DhirKot) constituency, where he emerged as an independent candidate backed by Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

According to unofficial results from 213 of the constituency’s 214 polling stations, Iqbal secured 40,702 votes, defeating Atiq Ahmed Khan, who received 19,542 votes, by more than 21,000 votes. PML-N’s Faisal Azad secured 3,000 votes, while PPP’s Mubashar Ejaz received 2,800.

The result was seen as a major upset, ending the decades-long political dominance of the Sardar Atiq Ahmed Khan family in the constituency. The family had held significant political influence in parts of AJK for more than seven decades.

The announcement was made by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah during a press conference alongside PML-N leaders. He said Abbasi had become part of the PML-N team and would work with the party for the development of his constituency.

“Both Raja Faisal Ejaz and Sajid Iqbal will work together like brothers for the development of the Dhirkot constituency,” Sanaullah said, referring to the PML-N candidate who contested against Abbasi in LA-14.

He said the PML-N respected the verdict of the people of LA-14 and welcomed Abbasi’s decision to support the party for the development of the constituency.

Sanaullah said the people of AJK had expressed confidence in the PML-N, particularly in Muzaffarabad and Mirpur divisions and expressed hope that the party would eventually secure a two-thirds majority in the Legislative Assembly.

He said AJK urgently needed development and the new government would have the mandate and authority to take decisions within the framework of the Constitution and the law.

Referring to the overall election process, the PML-N leader said around 56% of voters had participated in the elections, describing the turnout as evidence of public confidence in the democratic process across AJK.

On protests against the election results, Sanaullah said the protesters were also considered brothers and that 99% of them were patriotic. “Our Kashmiri brothers have as much right over Pakistan as citizens of any other part of the country,” he said.

Responding to objections raised by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) over the election results, he urged political parties to adopt legal channels instead of making allegations.

“The Election Commission and the law are there and decisions should be accepted in accordance with the Constitution and the law,” he said.

Sanaullah maintained that no one had the authority to alter the mandate given by the people, adding that the AJK assembly would be constituted in accordance with constitutional and legal provisions.

He said the new government would be empowered to make decisions within the constitutional framework.

Asked about the issue of new provinces, Sanaullah said he would give a detailed response on the matter at a press conference.

He also said PML-N leader Amir Muqam could not attend the press conference due to ill health.

PML-N AJK President Shah Ghulam Qadir welcomed the decision, congratulating Abbasi on extending support to the party and describing it as an important development for the development of the Dhirkot constituency and the resolution of public issues.

Qadir also congratulated the AJK Election Commission, particularly Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, on conducting the elections and appreciated the role of the security forces in ensuring the electoral process.

He said Abbasi’s cooperation with the PML-N was a positive development for the party and the incoming government.

Speaking on the occasion, Abbasi announced his alliance with the PML-N and support for the new government, saying he would stand by the PML-N both inside and outside the AJK assembly.

He said he had accepted the invitation extended by the PML-N and decided to join hands with the party. He also thanked PML-N President Nawaz Sharif for honouring him and providing him with an opportunity to work with the party.

Abbasi said there was disappointment among the people of AJK at present, which, he added, would be overcome collectively.

“There is no need to be disappointed. We will work together to address the problems of the people,” he said, adding that he would continue to serve the people of his constituency and stand with the PML-N inside and outside the Assembly.

PML-N AJK Secretary General Tariq Farooq welcomed Abbasi’s decision on behalf of the party leadership and workers, saying his alliance with the PML-N would further strengthen political cooperation for the formation and functioning of the new government in AJK.

Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Mustafa Bashir Abbasi and Murtaza Javed Abbasi were also present at the press conference.

PML-N eyes two-thirds majority

Sanaullah said the PML-N would have 33 seats following the elections and needed to win three of the seven remaining seats to reach 36, which he described as a two-thirds majority.

“Thirty-six is the two-thirds majority. After these elections, the PML-N will have 33 seats, and if we secure three of the seven seats where elections are going to be held, God willing, the PML-N will have a two-thirds majority,” he said.

Polling for the reserved seats will be held on August 24 and are not filled through direct public voting but are elected by newly elected members of the Legislative Assembly. Of the eight reserved seats, five are allocated to women, one to Ulema and Mashaikh, one to overseas residents of AJK, and one to technocrats and other professionals.

Sanaullah said seven general seats remained to be contested, although one had fallen vacant following the death of the winning candidate. He expressed hope that the PML-N would secure three additional seats.

The remaining constituencies, covering Rawalakot, Poonch and Sudhnoti, are expected to go to the polls later, potentially by August 20, subject to the prevailing political situation.

Read: AJK polls: Sajid Iqbal wins LA-14 as PML-N, PPP lead in key constituencies

Development mandate

Sanaullah described the PML-N’s expected mandate as “the need of the hour” given the situation in AJK, saying the region needed greater attention to its development needs.

“This was the mandate for which the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, appealed to the people of Kashmir,” he said, referring to Nawaz Sharif’s addresses in Muzaffarabad and Mirpur.

“The situation in AJK needs to be controlled, and development is needed there,” Sanaullah said, adding that voters had given the PML-N a mandate following Nawaz’s appeal for development in the region.

He said the party wanted to replicate in AJK the development initiatives undertaken by the PML-N government in Punjab. “The people of AJK have sent forward a very good team. God willing, we will fulfil the promises that the PML-N has made,” he said.

The electoral process for the 2026 general elections in AJK concluded on August 15 with the completion of polling and announcement of results in the final two constituencies in Bagh, where the PPP and PML-N secured one seat each.

With the Bagh results, the PML-N has emerged as the largest parliamentary force in the AJK Legislative Assembly with 25 seats, while the PPP stands as the second-largest party with 12 seats.

The final phase of polling was completed through re-polling at 23 polling stations in LA-15 Bagh-II and LA-16 Bagh-III, bringing the election process across AJK to a close.

In LA-15 Central Bagh, PPP candidate Sardar Zia-ul-Qamar defeated PML-N's Mushtaq Minhas, securing 17,118 votes against his rival's 15,227. Zia-ul-Qamar won the seat by a margin of 1,891 votes after re-polling was held at nine polling stations.

In LA-16 Eastern Bagh, PML-N candidate Sardar Mir Akbar Khan won with 20,796 votes, defeating PPP's Sardar Qamar-uz-Zaman, who received 16,963 votes. Mir Akbar Khan secured the seat by a margin of 3,833 votes.

Read More: AJK sets August 24 polls for reserved seats

The results further strengthened the PML-N's position in the AJK Assembly and put the party in a strong position to form the next government. It secured the largest number of directly elected seats in the three-phase election, while the PPP emerged as the principal opposition force.

The PML-N is also expected to gain six additional reserved seats, including seats for women and special categories such as Ulema-o-Mashaikh, overseas Kashmiris and technocrats. These seats are expected to further increase the party's strength in the assembly.

The 2026 elections were held in three phases across AJK, with the PML-N maintaining a strong performance throughout. The party won a majority of the directly contested seats, while the PPP secured several key constituencies and retained a significant parliamentary presence.

The victories of Sardar Zia-ul-Qamar and Sardar Mir Akbar Khan brought the final two outstanding constituencies into the assembly tally, with the PPP and PML-N taking one seat each.

With 25 seats currently secured, the PML-N holds a clear advantage in the race to form the government. Its expected gains from reserved and special seats are likely to further consolidate its position in the assembly.

The PPP, with 12 seats, is set to become the main opposition force, while the remaining political groups and independents could play a role as the process of government formation begins.