Muzaffarabad : The newly elected members of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly were sworn in on Monday, marking a key step towards the formation of the new government in the region.
AJK Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar administered the oath to 46 newly elected lawmakers and congratulated them on beginning their parliamentary tenure.
At the start of the proceedings, Assembly Secretary Amjed Latif Abbasi read out official notifications confirming the election of 38 members from territorial and refugee constituencies during the three-phase general elections. He also announced the results of eight reserved seats that were filled through voting by the newly elected members of the house.
Following the announcements, all 46 lawmakers appeared before the assembly and took the oath from Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar. The speaker himself had failed to retain his constituency in the recent elections and therefore could not return to the legislature as an elected member.
After completing the oath-taking process, the lawmakers signed the official oath register in accordance with the order of their respective constituencies.
During the session, PML-N lawmaker Ahmed Raza Qadri moved a motion seeking suspension of the assembly rules governing the timing of elections for key parliamentary positions, including the speaker, deputy speaker and leader of the house.
PPP member Abdul Majid Khan, speaking on a point of order, acknowledged that the PML-N possessed sufficient numbers in the assembly to suspend the relevant rules. However, he requested the ruling party to reconsider holding the proceedings on 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal, which is observed as Eid-i-Miladun Nabi in remembrance of the birth of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).
The PPP lawmaker argued that the religious significance of the day should be respected. The chair rejected the objection, saying there was nothing inappropriate about holding the assembly proceedings and election process on the occasion.
The speaker said the transfer of authority should not be unnecessarily delayed and considered it appropriate for lawmakers to use the occasion to express their respect and pay tribute to the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) from the floor of the assembly. His remarks were welcomed by PML-N lawmakers, who responded by thumping their desks.
Earlier, the PML-N won six of the eight reserved seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly, while the PPP secured the remaining two seats allocated to women.
The reserved-seat elections completed another important stage in finalising the composition of the assembly following the conclusion of the three-phase general elections.
Of the eight reserved seats, five are allocated to women, while one each is reserved for a technocrat, Ulema and Mashaikh, and an overseas Kashmiri representative.
The PML-N won three women’s reserved seats and also secured the seats reserved for technocrats, Ulema and Mashaikh, and overseas Kashmiris. Its nominees Seharish Qamar, Maryam Zaman and Maryam Idrees were elected on the women’s seats.
The PPP won the remaining two women’s seats through Farzana Yaqub and Zobia Khurshid. The women’s category saw a tie between Khurshid and Rifat Abid, with both candidates receiving five votes. The deadlock was settled through a draw, after which Khurshid was declared the successful candidate.
PML-N candidate Pir Mazhar Saeed Shah secured the reserved seat for Ulema and Mashaikh, while Barrister Iftikhar Gillani was elected on the technocrat seat. Abdul Rehman Arain was declared elected to the seat reserved for overseas Kashmiris.
Following the reserved-seat results, the PML-N’s strength in the assembly increased to 31 members, while the PPP’s representation rose to 14. The PML-N’s overall strength reached 32 after it entered into an alliance with a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Dast-o-Bazu (JK ADB).
Voting for the reserved seats began at 10am at the AJK Legislative Assembly complex in Muzaffarabad, with the secretary of the AJK Election Commission serving as the presiding officer.
The assembly is now expected to move ahead with the election and subsequent oath-taking of the speaker and deputy speaker as the process of establishing the new government continues.
The government formation process is taking place even though elections have yet to be held in seven constituencies in the Poonch and Sudhnoti districts, leaving seven elected seats vacant.
In the three-phase general elections, the PML-N emerged as the largest political force after winning 25 general seats, while the PPP secured 11.
During the first phase, polling was conducted in 13 constituencies of the Mirpur Division. The PML-N won nine seats, while the PPP secured four.
The second phase was held on August 2 in eight constituencies of the Muzaffarabad Division and all 12 refugee constituencies. The PML-N won 15 seats during this phase, while the PPP secured six.
In the third phase, covering two constituencies, both major parties won one seat each, taking the PML-N’s general-seat tally to 25 and the PPP’s to 11.
The elections, however, were followed by allegations of rigging from the PPP, which questioned the transparency and conduct of the polling process.
Following the second phase, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari criticised the federal government and indicated that his party would intensify its political opposition.
The PML-N rejected the allegations. Meanwhile, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif urged political parties to ensure that political disagreements did not turn into personal hostility and expressed concern over the tense political atmosphere in the region.
