MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) nominee Dr Muhammad Najeeb Naqi Khan on Saturday submitted his nomination papers for the office of president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), with the presidential election scheduled for September 24.
The AJK Legislative Assembly will serve as the electoral college for the presidential election.
Dr Naqi submitted his papers to Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, who is also the Returning Officer for the election. He was accompanied by PML-N AJK President Shah Ghulam Qadir, Prime Minister Iftikhar Gilani, former prime minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan, Minister and Assembly member Sardar Mir Akbar Khan and other lawmakers.
The Returning Officer received the nomination papers, while scrutiny was also scheduled to take place at his office on Saturday.
According to the election schedule, nomination papers were filed between 10am and noon on September 19. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until 11:30am on September 23, after which the final list of candidates will be issued.
PML-N President Nawaz Sharif had nominated Dr Naqi as the party’s candidate for the AJK presidency on September 16 and directed him to file his nomination papers. The nomination was announced by Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.
Dr Naqi, who hails from Sudhanoti district, has previously served as a member of the AJK Legislative Assembly and held several ministerial portfolios, including health, education, information technology, finance, and planning and development.
The office of AJK president has remained vacant since January 2026 following the death of Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry. Then-Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar initially served as acting president. After Chaudhry Tariq Farooq was elected speaker on August 25, he assumed the responsibilities of acting president.
The AJK Election Commission has scheduled polling for September 24 at the AJK Legislative Assembly Secretariat. Voting will take place from 10am to 1pm, followed by counting and the announcement of the result.
The president will be elected by members of the AJK Legislative Assembly through a vote.