Full Breakdown
Presidential Election in Pakistan-Administered Kashmir Held Amid Ongoing Unrest
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Core Event
Legislators of the 53-member Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Assembly are voting in Muzaffarabad on Thursday to elect a new president. The interim constitution requires a majority of the total membership—27 votes—regardless of how many seats are occupied. The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate, 62-year-old Najeeb Naqi Khan, is expected to win, as the PML-N and its allies control 32 of the 46 occupied seats. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has nominated 78-year-old Chaudhry Latif Akbar.
Background & Context
The presidency has been vacant since President Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry’s death on January 31. A petition filed in late February asked the court to compel the election, naming the speaker, the chief election commissioner and the Election Commission as respondents.
Unrest has persisted for months. The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee was banned on June 5 under antiterrorism legislation; its demand is the abolition of 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees in Pakistan. Internet services were cut the same day and broadband was restored on September 13 after 99 days, while mobile data remained restricted in parts of the territory.
Data & Statistics
- Legislative Assembly: 53 seats total; 46 occupied.
- PML-N holds 32 seats (25 of 38 contested seats and six of eight reserved seats).
- PPP holds 14 seats (12 contested seats).
- Turnout in the recent legislative election was 48 %, down from 61 % in 2021.
- Seven seats remain vacant after postponed elections in Poonch and Sudhnoti districts.
- Residents and rights groups estimate the death toll from the unrest at more than 50, while the government reports at least seven security-force fatalities.
Criticism & Opposition
Ershad Mahmud, author of *Poonch: Identity, Politics and Resistance*, alleged that the federal government delayed the presidential election to allow the PML-N-led administration in AJK to install its own candidate.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Death toll: residents and rights groups claim over 50 deaths; the government cites at least seven security-force fatalities.
- Vacant seats: no date has been announced for elections in the seven postponed constituencies, leaving a gap in representation that the constitution does not explicitly address.
Timeline
- January 31 – President Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry dies.
- June 5 – Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee banned.
- July 27, August 2, August 10 – Legislative election held in three phases; seven constituencies in Poonch division postponed.
- September 13 – Broadband service restored after 99 days.
- Thursday (date not specified) – Presidential election held by the Legislative Assembly.
Why It Matters
The election fills the region’s last vacant constitutional office eight months after it became vacant, testing the interim constitution when a significant portion of the assembly is unfilled. The outcome also influences the balance of power between the PML-N and PPP in AJK, while the unresolved vacancies and ongoing unrest raise questions about the legitimacy of governance amid security concerns.
What’s Next
Chief Election Commissioner Ghulam Mustafa Mughal indicated that the presidential vote will proceed despite the vacant seats. No schedule has been announced for holding elections in the seven postponed constituencies, leaving their representation pending.