A high-level meeting of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was held at the Government House in Murree under the chairmanship of former prime minister and PML-N President Nawaz Sharif. The meeting focused on the formation of the new government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), with detailed consultations held on potential candidates for the position of prime minister.
Party leadership also discussed the political situation in AJK and the next steps for the formation of the government. The newly elected members of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly were congratulated during the meeting, and a luncheon was also hosted in their honour. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, and newly elected PML-N members of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq also attended the meeting.
Party sources said that the meeting discussed matters related to the reserved seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly. According to sources, the meeting also discussed potential candidates for the next prime minister of AJK. PML-N AJK President Shah Ghulam Qadir is reportedly the strongest contender for the position, while Tariq Farooq, Col (retd) Waqar and Raja Farooq Haider are also in the race.
Sources said that the AJK Parliamentary Party has authorised PML-N President Nawaz Sharif to make the final decision on the prime ministerial candidate. Earlier, the PML-N AJK leadership had sent a list of candidates for the reserved seats to Nawaz Sharif for approval. The list includes Maria Iqbal Tarana, Nasira Khan, Maryam Kashmiri, Nisara Abbasi, and Sehrish Qamar for the women’s reserved seats.
Raja Shadab Sikandar is likely to be nominated for the technocrat seat, Pir Mazhar Saeed for the Ulema and Mashaikh seat, and Raja Muhammad Javed for the reserved seat for overseas Pakistanis. According to sources, the final approval of all these nominations will be given by PML-N President Nawaz Sharif.