Barrister Iftikhar Gillani takes oath as 17th AJK prime minister

Gillani secures 30 votes against PPP candidate Mukhtar Ahmed Abbasi, who received 14 votes in AJK Assembly election

The parliamentary set-up of the newly elected Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly was completed on Friday with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-backed Barrister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gillani taking the oath as the 17th prime minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin being appointed Leader of the Opposition.

The oath was administered to Gillani by AJK Acting President Chaudhry Tariq Farooq during a televised ceremony held at the AJK Legislative Assembly in Muzaffarabad.

In his maiden speech as premier, the newly elected AJK prime minister thanked PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Rana Sanaullah and other senior party leaders for their support.

“I will work hard round the clock to ensure that I maintain the confidence of the party leadership and the people in our government,” he said.

The premier also called on the people of AJK, particularly fellow lawmakers elected to the lower house, to join him in his efforts to take the region forward. “Let us move forward together and build an AJK that is exemplary to the whole world,” he said.

آزاد جموں و کشمیر کے نو منتخب وزیر اعظم بیرسٹر افتخار گیلانی کا حلف برداری تقریب سے خطاب https://t.co/IMwXoG8QVP

— PMLN (@pmln_org) August 28, 2026

Addressing the ceremony, the premier said his government would make provision of livelihood opportunities its top priority. “This will enable the youth to achieve a better future,” he said, adding that livelihood was closely linked to access to education, healthcare and other essential amenities.

Noting that it was impossible to give government jobs to all Kashmiris, he said there was a need to rely on technology to create jobs and livelihood. “AJK will digitalise the economy,” Gillani stressed, acknowledging a need to widen internet access across the valley.

Read: Pakistan backs Kashmir on Istehsal Day

While announcing reforms in the health and education sector, he said his government will launch a citizen portal for complaint registration as the first step towards resolution of issues.

During his speech, PM Gillani said, “Pakistan and Kashmir are incomplete without each other.”

He emphasised that the Kashmir issue was not just a dispute over a piece of land. “It is an issue concerning the rights of the people of Kashmir and their right to self-determination in line with the United Nations resolutions”

The AJK premier also condemned India’s August 5, 2019, action and the atrocities committed against Kashmiris in his first address to the legislative assembly members. In contrast, he said, Kashmiris in AJK sleep peacefully because of the sacrifices made by the Pakistan Armed Forces under the leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir.

The newly elected premier also said he wished to replicate the progress of Punjab under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in AJK.

Meanwhile, the assembly speaker, Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, formally notified Yasin’s appointment as Leader of the Opposition.

Yasin previously served as Leader of the Opposition in the AJK Legislative Assembly from 2016 to 2021.

A veteran politician, Yasin has remained active in practical politics for more than three decades and is considered one of the senior PPP figures in AJK.

PM Shehbaz congratulates new AJK premier

Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday congratulated Barrister Iftikhar Gillani on his election as the prime minister of AJK, expressing hope that he would play an active role in the development and prosperity of the region.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the prime minister said the PML-N victory in AJK was the result of the efforts of the party leadership, particularly former prime minister and party leader Nawaz Sharif, alongside party workers.

PM Shehbaz expressed confidence that the newly elected AJK premier would work vigorously for the development of the region and the welfare of its people.

He reaffirmed that the federal government would continue to extend all possible cooperation to AJK for its development and prosperity and for improving the living standards of its people.

The prime minister also welcomed the continuation of the democratic process in AJK, describing it as a positive development.

وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف کی بیرسٹر افتخار گیلانی کو آزاد جموں و کشمیر کا وزیراعظم منتخب ہونے پر مبارکباد

"پر امید ہیں کہ بیرسٹر افتخار گیلانی آزاد کشمیر کی تعمیر و ترقی اور عوام کی فلاح و بہبود کے لیے بھرپور کردار ادا کریں گے۔ آزاد کشمیر کے عوام کی ترقی، خوشحالی اور بہتر معیارِ… pic.twitter.com/Z9bLMgy6JF

— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) August 28, 2026

Acting President of Pakistan Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also congratulated Barrister Gillani on his successful election as the prime minister.

In a statement issued by his office, Sadiq wished the newly appointed premier the best for his tenure, saying that Gilani’s election reflected the confidence reposed in his leadership abilities by members of the AJK Legislative Assembly.

Resting hope in the political insight and leadership of Barrister Gillani, the acting president said he would steer AJK towards greater development, prosperity and public welfare.

He reaffirmed that the federal government would extend its full support and cooperation for the "development and prosperity" of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

"Welfare and well-being of the people of AJK remains a priority for the federal government," Sadiq said.

Congratulatory messages also poured in from other PML-N leaders, including Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

In a post on X shared by the party's social media team, Punjab's top minister extended heartfelt felicitations to Barrister Gillani on assuming the office of the premier of AJK. She also congratulated the members of the AJK Assembly and the people on the dawn of the new era.

"Through the unparalleled vision of Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and the grace and benevolence of Almighty Allah, the government of Pakistan Muslim League (N) has been established in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. InshaAllah, a new era of development, prosperity, and public service will begin in Azad Kashmir," the CM said.

وزیراعلیٰ پنجاب مریم نواز شریف نے بیرسٹر افتخار گیلانی کو آزاد جموں و کشمیر کا وزیراعظم منتخب ہونے پر دلی مبارکباد پیش کی۔ انہوں نے آزاد کشمیر کے ارکانِ اسمبلی اور عوام کو بھی مبارکباد دیتے ہوئے کہا کہ قائد محمد نواز شریف کی بے مثال بصیرت اور اللہ تعالیٰ کے فضل و کرم سے آزاد جموں… pic.twitter.com/RyaVA14wu8

— ChSardarAhmed (@ChSApmln) August 28, 2026

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Barrister Danyal Chaudhry also congratulated the newly appointed AJK prime minister.

In a social media post on X, the barrister said, "I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Barrister Iftikhar Gilani on his election as the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir. May Allah Almighty grant him success in serving the people and in bringing progress and prosperity to Azad Kashmir. My best wishes and prayers are with him."

بیرسٹر افتخار گیلانی صاحب کو وزیراعظم آزاد کشمیر منتخب ہونے پر دلی مبارکباد پیش کرتا ہوں۔ اللہ تعالیٰ انہیں عوام کی خدمت، آزاد کشمیر کی ترقی اور خوشحالی کے لیے کامیابی عطا فرمائے۔ نیک تمنائیں اور دعائیں ان کے ساتھ ہیں۔ pic.twitter.com/N7JJLR6R1Q

— Barrister Danyal Chaudhry (@DanyalChaudhary) August 28, 2026

Earlier developments

In an election held during a session of the AJK Legislative Assembly in Muzaffarabad, Gillani secured 30 votes against Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Sardar Mukhtar Ahmed Abbasi, who received 14 votes.

PML-N AJK President and former prime ministerial nominee Shah Ghulam Qadir did not attend the session.

Gillani, a qualified lawyer who holds a barrister's degree from Britain, entered electoral politics in 2011 when he contested the AJK Legislative Assembly elections from Muzaffarabad and was elected as a member.

He retained his seat in the 2016 elections and subsequently served as education minister for five years during the PML-N government in AJK.

Gillani contested the 2021 and 2026 elections but was unsuccessful on both occasions. In 2026, however, he was inducted into the AJK Legislative Assembly on a technocrat seat despite losing the election for that seat.

The PML-N had nominated Gillani, elected to the AJK Legislative Assembly on a technocrat seat, as its candidate for the AJK prime minister's office on Thursday.

Read: PML-N takes command as AJK Assembly sworn in

A day earlier, PML-N leader and Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced that Barrister Gillani had been nominated as the party’s candidate for the office of AJK PM.

Earlier this week, Nawaz Sharif had nominated Shah Ghulam Qadir as the party’s candidate for the top office in AJK after PML-N secured a majority in the AJK elections held in three phases between July 27 and August 10. Of the 45 directly contested constituencies, polling was held in 38, with the PML-N securing 25 seats and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) winning 12.

In a post on social media platform X, Marriyum said that Gillani had been nominated for the office of AJK prime minister following consultations within the party leadership.

The development, however, triggered differences within the PML-N’s AJK chapter. PML-N AJK President Shah Ghulam Qadir expressed reservations over Gillani’s nomination. Qadir said that he would neither vote for Gillani nor attend Friday’s (today's) session of the Legislative Assembly called to elect the prime minister.

Reportedly, former AJK prime minister Raja Farooq Haider also expressed reservations over the nomination of Gillani as the AJK PM.

According to party sources, Qadir and Haider conveyed their reservations during a meeting held at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad on Wednesday in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Sources said the PML-N AJK president is expected to consult senior party leaders and workers before announcing his future political course.

Also Read: Nawaz nominates Barrister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gilani for AJK premier

The reported differences added an unexpected twist to the PML-N’s government-formation process in AJK, where the party emerged as the largest parliamentary group.

At the beginning of the current week, on August 24, forty-six newly elected members of the AJK Legislative Assembly took the oath, formally marking the start of the new parliamentary term following the 2026 general elections.

Assembly Speaker Latif Akbar administered the oath to the newly elected lawmakers during the inaugural session of the new assembly. The oath-taking ceremony reflected the changed political balance in the 53-member AJK Legislative Assembly, with the PML-N emerging as the dominant parliamentary force.

A total of 31 PML-N assembly members took the oath, along with one member of the Awami Dast-o-Bazu, while 14 members of the PPP also took the oath, according to the initial proceedings.