PML-N awards seven tickets for AJK reserved seats

Party projected to reach 32 in 53-member Legislative Assembly

MUZAFFARABAD:

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has awarded party tickets to seven candidates for reserved seats in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly, moving closer to securing a comfortable majority in the 53-member house and forming the next government in the territory.

PML-N President Nawaz Sharif signed the nomination letters, giving final approval to the party's nominees. The candidates include Maryam Zaman, Maryam Idrees, Sehrish Qamar and Riffat Abid for the reserved seats for women.

Abdul Rehman Arain has been awarded the party ticket for the seat reserved for Kashmiris living overseas, while Syed Iftikhar Ali Gilani will contest the technocrats' seat. Maulana Mazhar Saeed has been nominated for the seat reserved for Ulema and Mashaikh.

According to party insiders, Nawaz personally interviewed the women aspirants in Murree along with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz before approving the party's nominees. The elections are scheduled to be held on August 24.

Under the Election Commission's schedule, candidates for the reserved seats will file their nomination papers on August 20, while the final list of candidates will be published on August 23. Polling for the eight reserved seats will be held in the AJK Legislative Assembly.

The PML-N emerged as the single largest parliamentary party in the recently concluded general elections, winning 25 of the 45 general seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured 12 seats.

With the reserved seats, the PML-N's strength is projected to rise to 32. According to political analysts, the PPP is expected to secure two reserved seats for women, taking its projected strength to 14.