Four elected unopposed to AJK Council: three PML-N, one PPP
The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission has declared four new members elected unopposed to the AJK Council, closing the AJK Council election for four vacant seats without a single vote being cast.
The three PML-N nominees are Raja Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas, Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed and Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed, while the PPP’s nominee is former Legislative Assembly speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar. With four candidates in the field for four seats, no polling was needed.
The four new AJK Council members
According to the notification issued by Election Commission Secretary Ayaz Bashir, Mr Akbar and Mr Manzoor Ahmed represent Muzaffarabad district, Mr Minhas represents Bagh district and Mr Saeed represents Mirpur district. The commission declared the four elected after receiving the election returns from the returning officers.
Two of the new members are familiar faces from the recent general elections. Mr Saeed and Mr Minhas lost to PPP candidates in Mirpur and Bagh respectively, while Mr Akbar lost to PML-N candidate Saqib Majeed Raja from LA-31 (Muzaffarabad-5). Mr Manzoor Ahmed, a senior PML-N leader from Muzaffarabad, has never contested an election before.
The AJK Council election schedule that led here
The four seats were among the six elected seats that fell vacant after the expiry of the five-year terms of their previous occupants on September 18. The commission had announced polling for October 12 at the AJK Legislative Assembly Hall in Muzaffarabad, with nomination papers filed on October 1 and scrutiny held on October 2.
The filing day drew heavyweight backing. The PML-N candidates were accompanied by AJK Prime Minister Iftikhar Gilani, PML-N AJK President Shah Ghulam Qadir and former prime minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider, while PPP AJK President Chaudhry Yasin and party legislators stood with Mr Akbar as he submitted his papers.
When only four valid candidates remained after scrutiny, the commission formally notified their unopposed election under Section 18 of the AJK Council (Election) Act, 1976. Copies of the notification were sent to the AJK Legislative Assembly Secretariat, the information department and other concerned institutions.
What the Council does
The AJK Council is a constitutional body created under the AJK Interim Constitution Act, 1974. It provides an institutional link between the governments of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, with its composition and functions defined by the constitutional framework. Members serve five-year terms and draw a monthly salary of Rs180,000.
The seats had previously been filled through elections in August 2021, and the outgoing members completed their five-year terms last month. The new members take their seats at a time when the Council’s role in coordinating federal and regional policy remains central to AJK’s governance.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the four members elected unopposed?
PPP’s Chaudhry Latif Akbar and PML-N’s Raja Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas, Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed and Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed.
Why was no polling held for the AJK Council seats?
Polling was scheduled for October 12, but only four candidates filed valid nomination papers for the four vacant seats. With no contest, the Election Commission declared all four elected unopposed after scrutiny.
When did the seats fall vacant?
The terms of the four previous members expired on September 18, 2026, after completing five years in office.
