MUZAFFARABAD — Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has captured six of the eight reserved seats in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, pushing its total strength to 31 members and further entrenching its position as the dominant parliamentary force in the region.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured the remaining two reserved seats for women, according to official results announced on Saturday.
Breakdown of Reserved Seat Victories
PML-N claimed three reserved seats for women and one each for Ulema and Mashaikh, overseas Kashmiris, and technocrats. The elected members include:
- Maryam Zaman — Women’s reserved seat
- Maryam Idrees — Women’s reserved seat
- Sehrish Qamar — Women’s reserved seat
- Abdul Rehman Arain — Overseas Kashmiris seat
- Syed Iftikhar Ali Gilani — Technocrat seat
- Maulana Mazhar Saeed — Ulema and Mashaikh seat
For the PPP, Farzana Yaqoob and Zobia Khursheed won the two women’s reserved seats. Khursheed’s victory came after a dramatic tie with PML-N candidate Riffat Abid, with both receiving five votes each. The deadlock was resolved through a draw, which Khursheed won.
PML-N Strengthens Its Mandate
The reserved seat results follow the recent AJK general elections, where PML-N emerged as the largest parliamentary party by winning 25 of the 45 directly elected seats. With six additional reserved seats, the party now commands 31 members in the Legislative Assembly.
The PPP stands second with 14 seats. PML-N’s position was further bolstered when Awami Dast-o-Bazu Assembly member Sajid Abbasi pledged support, bringing the party’s effective strength to 32 members.
Party leader Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had personally interviewed women candidates in Murree ahead of the reserved seat allocations, underscoring the party’s strategic focus on consolidating its legislative majority.
Implications for AJK Governance
The decisive victory in reserved seats gives PML-N a comfortable working majority in the 53-member house, positioning it to form the next government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir without relying on coalition partners. The strengthened mandate is expected to accelerate the party’s legislative agenda and administrative appointments in the region.
The reserved seat outcomes also highlight the continuing political rivalry between PML-N and PPP in AJK, with the latter managing to secure only a token presence despite contesting the allocations vigorously.
