MUZAFFARABAD: Barrister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gillani was sworn in as the new prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Friday, but his victory was overshadowed by an unusual and serious revolt within his own Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
The strongest sign of disagreement came from PML-N AJK President Shah Ghulam Qadir, one of the party’s most senior and experienced leaders. As the head of the election-winning party in AJK, Qadir was widely seen as a leading figure with a strong claim to the premiership. Instead, the party’s central leadership chose Gillani, a decision that caused visible anger and disappointment within the regional PML-N, as reported by The Dawn News.
Qadir, along with former AJK prime minister Raja Farooq Haider, had openly opposed Gillani’s nomination. Both leaders initially indicated that they would stay away from the election. Although Haider later entered the assembly and participated in the proceedings, Qadir did not attend, making his absence a powerful political statement.
His decision turned what should have been a smooth transfer of power into a moment of internal unrest for the ruling party. Reports said Qadir believed that the party’s regional leadership and the mandate won by PML-N in the elections deserved greater respect in deciding who would lead the government. His absence from the House was therefore widely viewed as a silent revolt against a decision made by the party leadership in Islamabad.
Despite the disagreement, Gillani comfortably won the election, securing 30 votes out of the 44 cast. His only rival, Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Sardar Mukhtar Ahmed Abbasi, received 14 votes. The result returned PML-N to power in AJK, but the dispute exposed divisions beneath the party’s victory.
In his first address after taking the oath, Gillani thanked PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and other party leaders for placing their confidence in him.
He promised to work day and night and identified employment, education and healthcare as the main priorities of his government. He called on members of the Legislative Assembly to work together and said AJK should become an example of development and prosperity.
However, the political challenge facing Gillani may begin inside his own party. Qadir’s disagreement is not a minor matter. As the regional president and a major political figure, his public absence has raised questions about whether the PML-N can fully heal its internal divisions.
The nomination was made by the party’s top leadership, despite reported reservations from Qadir and Haider. Gillani, meanwhile, returned to the assembly through a reserved seat after losing his constituency election, adding another layer of controversy to his unexpected rise to the highest office in AJK.
For now, Gillani has won the office. But in Kashmir’s latest political upset, Shah Ghulam Qadir’s absence may prove to be as important as the votes cast inside the assembly.
