Pakistan - AJK Legislative Assembly
The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly is the legislative body in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir region of Pakistan. AJK is a self-governing territory in the northern part of Pakistan, and its legislative assembly is responsible for making laws, representing the interests of the people of AJK, and overseeing the regional governments functioning. The AJK Legislative Assembly consists of elected representatives known as Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs). These MLAs are elected through general elections held every five years. The number of seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly is determined based on the population and geographical distribution of the region. The political party or coalition that secures a majority of seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly forms the government and elects a Prime Minister from among its members. The Prime Minister heads the regional government and exercises executive powers in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The AJK Legislative Assembly plays a significant role in legislative matters, including passing laws, approving the regional budget, and discussing and debating issues of public importance. It provides a platform for representatives to address the concerns and interests of the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
This election gives all citizens, regardless of wealth, a fair shot to be heard and participate in every step of the democratic process
Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi took oath as new Prime Minister
Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) took oath as new Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.
AJK President Sardar Muhammad Masood Khan administered the oath to him at a ceremony.
Earlier today, PTI s Abdul Qayyum Niazi had been elected as new Prime Minister (PM) of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
AJK Legislative Assembly had met today under the supervision of Speaker Anwar-ul-Haq to elect the PM. During the session, the newly-elected members of the assembly used their voting right to finalize the premier.
PTI’s Abdul Qayyum Niazi emerged victorious by grabbing 33 votes while opposition’s Chaudhry Latif Akbar faced defeat as he only managed to take 15 votes. - Posted on : 04-August-2021
Two killed, 10 injured in election day violence
Two people were killed while 10 others were injured during clashes between supporters of different political parties on election day of Azad Kashmir polls.
During a clash between PML-N and PTI voting agents at most sensitive polling station of LA 53, voter slips were torn apart after which polling was suspended in the station by the presiding officer.
On the other hand, fire was exchanged between PPP and PTI supporters in LA 12 as a result two including a PTI supporter were shot dead while two others sustained injuries.
Eight more were injured during a clash between PTI and PPP workers in LA-15 and polling process was suspended. - Posted on : 25-July-2021
سابق وزیراعظم بیرسٹر سلطان محمود چوہدری کی بھرپور حمای
انتخابی مہم کے آخری روز سابق وزیراعظم و صدر پاکستان تحریک انصاف بیرسٹر سلطان محمود چوہدری کی جانب سے زبردست بیٹنگ جاری رہی۔
پرانی ہٹیاں پارک میں بیرسٹر سلطان محمود چوہدری کے انتخابی مہم کے آخری جلسے میں عوام کی پر جوش شرکت
جلسہ گاہ آمد پر پی ٹی آئی کشمیر تحصیل میرپور کے صدر چوہدری تیمور خالد کی قیادت میں پی ٹی آئی کشمیر کے صدر بیرسٹر سلطان محمود چوہدری کا والہانہ استقبال کیا گیا
جلسہ عام سے سابق وزیراعظم بیرسٹر سلطان محمود چوہدری سابق چئیرمن بلدیہ چوہدری خالد عظیم دت ایڈووکیٹ نعمت شہزاد چوہدری یونس چوہدری تیمور خالد حاجی ٹھکیدار رمضان اور دیگر نے خطاب کیا
سابق وزیراعظم بیرسٹر سلطان محمود چوہدری کا نیوسٹی جلسہ آمد پر بھرپور استقبال کیا گیا۔
کارکنان کی بڑی تعداد پنڈال میں بیرسٹر سلطان کو سننے کے لئے پنڈال بےتاب تھی۔
نیوسٹی کی فضائیں آئی آئی پی ٹی آئی اور بیرسٹر سلطان زندہ باد کے نعروں سے گونج اٹھی۔
بعد ازاں پی ٹی آئی آزادکشمیر راٹھوعہ محمد علی کے زیر اہتمام پی ٹی آئی کشمیر کے صدر و سابق وزیراعظم بیرسٹر سلطان محمود چوہدری کا بڑا انتخابی جلسہ گلزار پہلوان کی رہائش گاہ پر منعقد ہوا راٹھوعہ محمد علی آمد پر بیرسٹر سلطان محمود چوہدری کا والہانہ استقبال کیا گیا جلسہ عام میں یونین کونسل راٹھوعہ محمد علی کی عوام نے بڑی تعداد میں شرکت کی جلسہ عام سے پی ٹی آئی کشمیر کے صدر و سابق وزیراعظم بیرسٹر سلطان محمود چوہدری راجہ مصدق خان ماسٹر کرامت حسین راجہ ارشد ماواں اشتیاق چوہدری اقبال حیدر گلزار پہلوان اور دیگر نے خطاب کیا
بعدازاں سابق وزیراعظم و صدر پی ٹی آئی آزاد جموں و کشمیر بیرسٹر سلطان محمود چوہدری کے اعزاز میں بنگ کھڑی شریف میں استقبالیہ جلسہ منعقد ہوا۔
اس موقع پر سابق وزیراعظم و صدر پی ٹی آئی آزاد کشمیر بیرسٹر سلطان محمود چوہدری نے کہا کہ پی ٹی آئی آزاد کشمیر میں حکومت قائم کر کے آزاد کشمیر میں میگا پروجیکٹس لائے گی۔
مجلس وحدت المسلمین پاکستان کے نامزد امیدوار اسمبلی ایل اے تھری میرپور سید تصور شاہ کاظمی نے سابق وزیراعظم بیرسٹر سلطان محمود چوہدری کے حق میں الیکشن سے دستبردار ہو کر بیرسٹر سلطان محمود چوہدری کی حمایت کا اعلان کر دیا۔
بعدازاں سنگھوٹ میں بلے کا تگڑا وار
اشتیاق عرف شیرا مسلم لیگ ن چھوڑ کر کنبہ قبیلہ سمیت پی ٹی آئی کشمیر میں شامل ہو گئے سابق وزیراعظم بیرسٹر سلطان محمود چوہدری کی بھرپور حمایت کا اعلان کر دیا.... - Posted on : 24-July-2021
Close race among three political parties in AJK polls
Three political parties, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of former premier Nawaz Sharif, and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) look racing neck-and-neck as the poll campaign takes feverish pitch across the length and breadth of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
Over 3.2 million voters are going to elect the 53-member legislative assembly for a five-year term in the elections scheduled on Sunday. Out of 53, there will be direct elections on 45 seats, while eight are reserved for women, technocrats, and religious scholars.
But analysts and people on the streets believe that Pakistan’s ruling PTI is emerging as a favourite. The history of elections in the region, since 1975, points out that parties ruling Islamabad or its allies have won the elections in the region.
"It has been a tradition in Kashmir that the voters vote for the party which rules Islamabad. And I see slim chances of any change this time too," said Syed Abrar Shah, a Muzaffarabad-based political commentator. - Posted on : 21-July-2021
List of final candidates issued
The final list of candidates for the upcoming general elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir has been issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan. The elections are set to be held on July 25, Sunday.
A total of 724 people will stand for 45 general seats this year. Five hundred and seventy-nine candidates are competing for 33 constituencies within Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The remaining are competing for 12 refugee constituencies comprising four provinces of Pakistan.
In Mirpur, 95 candidates submitted their nomination papers of which 88 were accepted. After eight people withdrew their nomination, a total of 80 candidates are contesting for the elections
This year, 32 political parties across the country are competing for the AJK elections.
Over 2.8 million voters have been registered in Azad Kashmir and 0.4 million in Jammu.
A ban has been imposed on the approval of developmental projects, inaugurations, and foundation stone laying ceremonies, and inspection of development projects in the region.
The election commission has also imposed a ban on transfers, promotions, and new appointments in all government institutions. - Posted on : 06-July-2021
Symbols allotted to parties contesting AJK elections
The Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has allotted symbols to as many as 32 political and religious parties for the July 25 general elections.
A notification to this effect was issued by commission’s secretary Sardar Mohammad Ghazanfar here on Friday.
Prominent among the registered parties were the regional chapters of PML-N, PPP and PTI, which had been symbols of tiger, arrow and bat respectively.
Among the well known AJK based parties, All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (MC), Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party (JKPP) and Jamaat-i-Islami Azad Jammu and Kashmir (JIAJK) had been allotted their desired symbols of horse, sword and scale respectively.
Mr Ghazanfar declared that the candidates claiming to be the nominees of any of these parties would be allotted symbols only after they produced the copy of the party ticket in their favour.
Independent candidates would be allotted other symbols but not the ones having resemblance with those allotted to the parties, particularly the symbol of ‘lion’ and ‘pen’, he added.
Interestingly, the election commission has also allotted symbol to the AJK chapter of Tehreek-i-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) despite the fact that the AJK Home Department had placed it on the list of proscribed organisations under First Schedule of AJK Anti Terrorism Act, 2014. - Posted on : 04-July-2021
I-voting for overseas Pakistanis: Hope for PTI, despair for opposition
The introduction of an i-voting solution for overseas Pakistanis is giving great confidence to the ruling PTI because it could boost its prospects for a possible next term in government but is causing alarm among the opposition parties, particularly the PMLN.
The Pakistan People’s Party has also expressed its reservations about the new electoral scheme that the Imran Khan government is pushing for. But the PMLN is most worried because the party believes that it stands a chance to win the next polls if held fairly and freely.
Recent surveys and general assessments show that PTI is losing its popularity against the PMLN because of governance issues and performance problems, particularly in Punjab, which has always been the key factor in deciding who will rule the country.
However, this possible disadvantage to the ruling party in the next elections has been smartly neutralized by pushing for the introduction of i-voting amid the hope that the vast majority of the overseas Pakistanis continue to support Imran Khan and the PTI.
However, the opposition parties, particularly the PMLN and the PPP, have their reservations to the electoral reforms scheme introduced by the government. They suspect that the government is pushing for electronic and i-voting to rig the elections. The opposition parties do not oppose voting rights for overseas Pakistanis but are pressing for a mechanism other than the one introduced by the government.
PMLN leader Ahsan Iqbal recently said that the government had passed two laws in the National Assembly that paved the way for it to "rig" the next elections. - Posted on : 26-June-2021
AJK Election Commission issues code of conduct for general elections
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission Friday issued a code of conduct in the wake of general elections scheduled to be held on 25th of July – next month.
According to the code of conduct, all political parties and candidates shall strictly adhere to the code of conduct.
The code of conduct issued under sub-section (1) and (2), shall be binding on all concerned.
The returning officer and district magistrate shall be responsible for implementation of the code of conduct issued under this section.
Whoever contravenes the provision of the code of conduct issued under this section shall be liable to punishment with imprisonment which may extend to one year or with fine which may extend or Rs100,000 or with both. - Posted on : 25-June-2021
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