MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Barrister Iftikhar Gilani has taken oath as the new Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
Chaudhry Tariq Farooq also took oath as the acting president of Azad Kashmir.
Iftikhar Gilani Elected AJK Prime Minister
The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly held a session to elect the new prime minister.
Speaker Chaudhry Tariq Farooq chaired the session.
Iftikhar Gilani secured 30 votes in the election.
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Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Sardar Mukhtar Khan received 14 votes.
The result gave Gilani a clear majority in the assembly.
PML-N’s speaker and deputy speaker had each received 32 votes in their elections.
However, Gilani received two fewer votes.
PML-N Azad Kashmir President Shah Ghulam Qadir also did not attend the assembly session.
Gilani Promises Development
After taking oath, Gilani said his government would work with all groups.
“We will move forward together,” he said.
He also promised to build an Azad Kashmir that could become an example for the world.
Gilani said the region faces several governance challenges.
He also highlighted the need to create more jobs.
“We will take all steps to ensure employment opportunities,” he said.
The new prime minister also called for better hospitals and health services.
He said his government would focus on development across Azad Kashmir.
“This Will Be the People’s Government”
Gilani said his government would serve the people.
“This will be the people’s government,” he said.
He added that the new period would belong to the people of Kashmir.
Gilani said residents across the state would see the impact of the government’s work.
He also stressed the need for unity to address the region’s challenges.
Gilani’s Political and Legal Background
Iftikhar Gilani is a prominent PML-N leader in Azad Kashmir politics.
He comes from a well-known political family in Muzaffarabad.
He has experience in law, education and parliamentary politics.
Gilani received his early education in Islamabad.
He later moved to the United Kingdom for higher education.
There, he completed his Bar-at-Law degree.
After returning to Pakistan, he began practicing law in Islamabad.
He worked in the legal profession for around a decade.
During his legal career, he handled court matters and developed experience in constitutional and legal issues.
His political career later brought him into a leading role within PML-N in Azad Kashmir.
