PML-N Rift Deepens Over Iftikhar Gilani’s Nomination as AJK PM

Fresh divisions have emerged within the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in Azad Jammu and Kashmir after senior regional leaders Shah Ghulam Qadir and Raja Farooq Haider opposed the nomination of Barrister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gilani for the office of AJK prime minister. The disagreement has surfaced just before the Legislative Assembly is due to elect its new leader on August 28, adding uncertainty to the PML-N's government-formation process.

According to party sources cited by Dunya News, Shah Ghulam Qadir, who heads the PML-N's AJK chapter, has decided not to vote for Gilani and does not plan to attend Friday's assembly session. Former AJK prime minister Raja Farooq Haider has also expressed reservations over the nomination, creating an internal challenge for the party at a politically sensitive stage.

The objections were reportedly raised during consultations at the Prime Minister's House in Islamabad in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Party leaders discussed the formation of the next AJK government and the election of the prime minister, but Qadir and Haider maintained their opposition to Gilani's elevation to the top office.

Gilani, who entered the AJK Legislative Assembly on a technocrat seat, was nominated after consultations within the PML-N leadership. The decision represented a change from an earlier plan under which Shah Ghulam Qadir had been named as the party's candidate for prime minister following the PML-N's strong performance in the recently held AJK elections.

Qadir has publicly stressed that the mandate given by the people of Azad Kashmir should be respected. He also reiterated his commitment to the PML-N's political slogan of respecting the vote, while party sources said he would consult senior leaders and workers before deciding his future course. Further discussions involving Raja Farooq Haider and other PML-N figures were also reported to be continuing.

The dispute is significant because the PML-N emerged as the dominant force in the latest AJK elections and had been expected to form a government without major internal obstacles. The party secured a clear advantage in the directly contested constituencies, while its newly elected lawmakers have already taken oath in the Legislative Assembly. Internal resistance to the leadership's preferred candidate could complicate what had appeared to be a straightforward transition.

The AJK Legislative Assembly is scheduled to meet on August 28 to elect the new prime minister. Gilani will need sufficient backing from assembly members to secure the office, while the absence or opposition of senior PML-N lawmakers could intensify political negotiations ahead of the vote. The Pakistan Peoples Party has also nominated its own candidate, adding another dimension to the contest.

Attention will now focus on whether the PML-N leadership can resolve the disagreement before the assembly session. Further consultations are expected as senior party figures seek to prevent the dispute from developing into a broader split and to ensure that the party enters the prime ministerial election with a unified parliamentary position.