*AJK Election Commission Notifies 21 Returned Candidates for Legislative Assembly*

*MUZAFFARABAD, Aug. 5:* The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission on Wednesday officially notified the 21 returned candidates elected to the AJK Legislative Assembly following the General Elections 2026.

According to the Election Commission, the notification was issued under Section 68(4) of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Elections Act, 2020, based on the results of polling held on August 2 in nine constituencies of Azad Kashmir and on August 4 in 12 constituencies reserved for Jammu and Kashmir refugees settled in Pakistan.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) emerged as the largest party by securing 16 of the notified seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) won five seats.

The PML-N returned candidates are Shah Ghulam Qadir, Noreen Arif, Dr. Mustafa Bashir Abbasi, Saqib Majeed Raja, Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan, Nasir Hussain Dar, Chaudhary Muhammad Ismail, Muhammad Ahsan Raza, Maryam Javed, Zeeshan Ali, Raja Muhammad Siddique, Muhammad Amir Shah, Syed Shaukat Ali Shah, Muhammad Yasin Loon and Muhammad Ahmed Raza Qadri.

The PPP returned candidates are Abdul Waheed, Syed Bazal Ali Naqvi, Sardar Mukhtar Ahmad Khan, Dewan Ali Khan Qamar Chughtai, Amir Abdul Ghaffar Lone and Abdul Majid Khan.

The Election Commission said the notification takes immediate effect and copies have been forwarded to the relevant constitutional institutions and government departments for official record and necessary action.