Farhan Qureshi 
Dr Muhammad Najeeb Naqi Khan has been elected President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir after getting 32 votes in the presidential election held at the AJK Legislative Assembly Secretariat in Muzaffarabad on September 24, 2026. Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Chaudhry Latif Akbar got 13 votes in the contest.
New Presidential Term Begins With Swearing-In Ceremony
Dr Najeeb Naqi took the oath of office at the President’s House in Muzaffarabad after the election. Chief Justice Azad Jammu and Kashmir Raja Saeed Akram administered the oath, marking the formal start of Dr Naqi’s term as president of the region.
The ceremony was attended by senior political and government figures including AJK Prime Minister Iftikhar Gillani, Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, members of the AJK cabinet and Assembly, federal representatives and former political leaders. The newly elected president was also given a guard of honour by a police contingent after the oath-taking ceremony.
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— The Express Tribune (@etribune) June 6, 2012
Dr Najeeb Naqi Has 30 Years Of Political Experience
Dr Najeeb Naqi has a political career spanning more than three decades. Born on January 19, 1964, he belongs to a prominent political, social and educational family of Poonch and initially opted for a career in medicine instead of politics. He did his studies at Aitchison College and then graduated from King Edward Medical College. He started his house job in Mayo Hospital.
He entered politics after his father, retired Colonel Muhammad Naqi Khan, died in a road accident just before the AJK elections in 1990. Dr Naqi’s electoral debut came at the age of 26 when he contested his first election on a Muslim Conference ticket. He lost the first contest but subsequently returned to the Assembly and began a parliamentary career stretching across several political periods.
Why Poonch Representation Is Important For Presidency
The election of Dr Naqi is also of special significance for Poonch division, where political representation had become a major issue after the formation of the new AJK government. The lack of elected representatives from seven constituencies of Poonch and Sudhnoti made the region’s representation in the constitutional leadership structure a matter of public and political debate.
The Speaker of the Assembly belonged to Mirpur and the prime minister was from Muzaffarabad, Dawn said. In this scenario, there were increasing calls for a Poonch representative to be given the presidency, and Dr Naqi was a candidate with long political experience and regional roots.
Shehbaz Sharif Extends Federal Cooperation To Ajk
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has congratulated Dr Najeeb Naqi on his election as President of Azad Jammu & Kashmir. The prime minister said in his message that the election showed confidence in Dr Naqi and hoped that the new president would contribute to the development, prosperity and welfare of the people of AJK.
The federal government also reiterated its commitment to extend cooperation for the development and prosperity of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. This coordination is important as AJK’s development priorities are infrastructure, public services, education, healthcare and economic opportunities, which require cooperation among regional and federal institutions.
Development And Public Welfare Are The Priorities
Dr Naqi said that Poonch is passing through a difficult phase and hoped that the region would come out of it and get back on the path of development. Also, in his post-election speech, he talked about meeting the aspirations of the people of AJK, with development and public welfare being the major themes at the start of his presidency.
For AJK, development priorities are spread across mountainous and geographically dispersed communities where infrastructure and access to public services can present unique challenges. Improved connectivity, education, healthcare and employment prospects remain important elements of longer-term regional development and can help catalyse greater economic participation.
The Presidential Role Encounters A Constitutional Crossroads
Dr Naqi assumes office at a time of wider political transition in AJK. The presidential vacancy had been for several months, and the electoral process for 2026 was also not yet complete in seven constituencies due to security-related circumstances. The presidential election is now settled, providing a piece of greater constitutional continuity, with other electoral issues still unresolved.
The President of AJK is a constitutional office in the parliamentary system, whereas the executive powers are exercised mainly through the elected government. The presidency, therefore, has an institutional role in the protection of constitutional processes and in the representation of the region within its existing political structure.
A New Era For Leadership And Representation In AJK
The election of Dr Najeeb Naqi is an important development in the political and constitutional life of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. His 32-vote victory over PPP candidate Chaudhry Latif Akbar has filled a presidential post that had been unfilled since the start of the year and has brought a permanent office-holder to the President’s House in Muzaffarabad.
The new president has broad experience in legislation and government, including responsibilities for health, education, information technology, finance and development planning. His background is also of particular relevance to Poonch, a region whose representation has been the subject of renewed attention in the current political transition.
